KELVIN ASABRI (APPELLANT) vs. THE REPUBLIC (RESPONDENT) [2019]DLCA7783

Date	2019-06-27
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.: H2/5/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA7783

OFOE JA

ACKAH-YENSU JA

POKU-ACHEAMPONG JA

ALBERT ADAARE FOR APPELLANT

SETH AWERE-OPANYINYENA (SSA) FOR RESPONDENT

[2019]DLCA7783
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KELVIN ASABRI<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CRIMINAL
APPEAL NO.: H2/5/2019 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 27TH JUNE, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ALBERT
ADAARE FOR APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SETH
AWERE-OPANYINYENA (SSA) FOR RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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OFOE
JA, ACKAH-YENSU JA, POKU-ACHEAMPONG JA<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div>POKU-ACHEAMPONG,
J.A.:<o:p></o:p>The Appellant was convicted by an Accra
Circuit Court, (presided over by His Honour Eric Kyei Baffuor as he then was)
on 15th August 2011 for the offence of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery
and Robbery Contrary to Sections 23(1) and 149 of the Criminal Offences Act
(Act 29) and sentenced to 50 years imprisonment with hard Labour, (IHL).<o:p></o:p>The Appellant appealed against the
sentence imposed on him by the Circuit Court to the High Court, Accra in suit
No. BCRA 82/201 Kelvin Asabri V. The Republic.<o:p></o:p>The High Court (presided over by
Justice R. B. Batu) allowed the appeal on 2nd April, 2015 and reduced
the sentence of 50 years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) to 25 years
imprisonment with hard labour (IHL).<o:p></o:p>Apparently buoyed by his success at the
High Court the Appellant has now appealed to this court on the following
grounds of appeal:<o:p></o:p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That
the sentence is harsh and excessive having regard to the circumstances of the
case.<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That
the sentence of 25 years that was given by the High Court cannot be supported
having regard to the evidence on record<o:p></o:p>(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;Additional grounds to be added upon receipt of
the full record of proceedings.<o:p></o:p>It is important to record that no
additional grounds were filed. Worthy of note also is the indication by counsel
for the Appellant in his written submission filed on 18th March,
2019 that:<o:p></o:p>“the sentence imposed by the High Court
is too harsh and severe and we are