ERIC BUDU vs THE REPUBLIC [2020]DLCA16054

Date	2020-04-29
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEA NO: H2/04/20
Citation No.	[2020]DLCA16054

SOWAH J. A. (PRESIDING)

SUURBAAREH J. A.

MENSAH-HOMIAH J. A.

HELEN SAMLAFO

[2020]DLCA16054
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk38549976">ERIC BUDU<o:p></o:p></a>(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, KOFORIDUA]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<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;">

CIVIL
APPEA NO: H2/04/20&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 29TH APRIL
2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>SOWAH J. A. (PRESIDING),
SUURBAAREH J. A., MENSAH-HOMIAH J. A.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>MENSAH-HOMIAH, (J. A.):<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against the sentence
imposed by the High Court, Accra, in its judgment dated 30th April,
2014. The Appellant and his two accomplices were charged with the offences of:<o:p></o:p>1.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Conspiracy, contrary to <a name="_Hlk38548162">Section 23 (1) of the Criminal offences Act, (Act 29)</a><o:p></o:p>2.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Robbery, contrary to <a name="_Hlk38548272">Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, (Act 29) as
amended by the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2003 (Act 646)</a>.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>All
the three Accused persons pleaded not guilty. After a full trial, they were
convicted and sentenced to fifteen (15) years imprisonment on each count to run
concurrently. This appeal pertains to the sentences imposed by the High Court.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The
facts of the case as presented by the Prosecutor are that on 18th
November, 2010 at about 1:00 p.m., the Complainant, Razak Adamu, whilst on his
normal rounds as a taxi driver, was stopped by the Appellant (A1) and two
others. The Appellant (A1) and his accomplices hired the services of the
complainant from Madina Zongo Junction to Akatsi Abor near Agbogba.&nbsp; Upon reaching a section of the road near the
CEPS Warehouse area, A3 who was sitting on the front passenger seat requested
the Complainant to stop his KIA Pride vehicle to enable A3 collect the taxi
fare from a nearby house. A3 got down from the taxi, entered the bush but
returned shortly with the excuse that he had forgotten his room key. An
argument ensued between the Complainant and A3. In the heat of the argument, A3
turned off the ignition of Complainant’s vehicle. A1 who was then sitting
behind the driver’s seat grabbed the complainant’s neck from behind against the
head rest of the driver’s seat, pointed a knife at the complainant’s neck and
instructed him to get out of the vehicle lest he would be stabbed. A3 quickly
rushed to the driver’s side, opened the door and also pointed a knife at the
complainant with a further instruction to the complainant to get out of the
vehicle. The Complainant complied with the instruction. A1 and A3 also
collected the Complainant’s Nokia mobile phone and cash the sum of GH20.00. A2
who was sitting at the back of the taxi quickly took over the steering wheel
and started the engine. A1 and A3 pushed the Complainant into a nearby bush and
drove away the KIA Pride with registration number GE 6211- 09. They were
subsequently arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to fifteen (15) years
imprisonment on each count to run concurrently.<o:p></o:p>The
Appellant has appealed against the sentence on the following grounds:<o:p></o:p><a name="_Hlk37681182">1.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;