[2018]DLHC17253 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm"><a name="_Hlk157437484"></a><a name="_Hlk152146143"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";color:#00B0F0">PRINCE BAFFOUR <o:p></o:p></span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm 168.75pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua""> </span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">SUIT NO. CR 854/2016 DATE: 29<sup>TH</sup> MARCH, 2018</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua""><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">JOSEPH KAPONDE ESQ., FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops:0cm;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">WATKINS N. A. ADAMAH ESQ., ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE REPUBLIC.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">CORAM <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE CHARLES EDWARD EKOW BAIDEN</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; tab-stops:0cm;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">JUDGMENT</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The Complainant (PW1) in this case is a taxi driver who resided at Adabraka in Accra. The Appellant claimed to be an Information Technology Technician who lived at Budumburam near Kasoa. On 16<sup>th</sup> day of August, 2015 PW1 was in charge of a Nissan Almera taxi cab with registration No. GX 6079-13. At about 2.00am<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>Appellant<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>his<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>accomplice<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt"> </span>hired<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>services<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>PW1<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt"> </span>from<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>Circle- Accra<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>Dansoman. The Appellant<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>and his<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>accomplice did not specify<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>the exact location they were heading towards. As they approached the Saint Augustine’s Anglican Church at Sahara near Dansoman, one of the back tyres of the car became flat. PW1 then stopped to change the tyre. After fixing it, he was prevented by the Appellant and his accomplice from driving away. PW1 however, managed to remove the ignition key but the Appellant used a small knife<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>to stab his hand and palm- as a result, the car key fell. The Appellant then picked<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>the key from the<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>ground, pushed PW1 and together with<span style="letter-spacing:-.05pt"> </span>his accomplice drove the car away. PW1 had a cash sum of GH</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">₵</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">440.00 and his driver</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">’</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">s license in the car.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">After the incident, PW1 lodged a formal complaint to the Police. The Appellant was arrested at a hideout in Accra while his accomplice is still on the run. After the<span style="letter-spacing:-.8pt"> </span>arrest,<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt"> </span>Appellant<span style="letter-spacing:-.8pt"> </span>took<span style="letter-spacing:-.8pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.8pt"> </span>Police<span style="letter-spacing:-.75pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:-.8pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.8pt"> </span>Pacific<span style="letter-spacing:-.8pt"> </span>Filling<span style="letter-spacing:-.8pt"> </span>Station,<span style="letter-spacing:-.8pt"> </span>Nyanyano<span style="letter-spacing:-.75pt"> </span>road, Kasoa where the car, was retrieved.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops:0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The Appellant was arraigned before the Circuit Court and charged with two counts<span style="letter-spacing:-.5pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:-.4pt"> </span>offences,<span style="letter-spacing:-.5pt"> </span>namely;<span style="letter-spacing:-.5pt"> </span>causing<span style="letter-spacing:-.4pt"> </span>harm,<span style="letter-spacing:-.4pt"> </span>contrary<span style="letter-spacing:-.45pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:-.45pt"> </span>section<span style="letter-spacing:-.4pt"> </span>69<span style="letter-spacing:-.5pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing:-.4pt"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing:-.4pt"> </span>Criminal Offences<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>Act,<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt"> </span>1960<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>(Act<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>29)<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>robbery,<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>contrary<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"> </span>section<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>149<span style="letter-spacing:2.0pt"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt"> </span>Act<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>29.<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt"> </span>The Appellant<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt"> </span>pleaded<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt"> </span>guilty to<span style="letter-spacing:-.