EMMANUEL AGYARE vs. THE REPUBLIC [2021]DLCA10836

Date	2021-05-27
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. H2/12/2019
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA10836

ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) JA. (PRESIDING)

A. B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG JA

SAMUEL K.A. ASIEDU JA.

WILLIAM KUSI FOR THE APPELLANT

AKUA ADOMA ADDAI (ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2021]DLCA10836
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EMMANUEL AGYARE<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o: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;">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">CRIMINAL
APPEAL NO. H2/12/2019<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"> &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 MAY, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>WILLIAM KUSI FOR THE APPELLANT<o:p></o: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="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">AKUA ADOMA ADDAI (ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE
RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) JA.
(PRESIDING), A. B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG JA, SAMUEL K.A. ASIEDU JA.<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="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;ASIEDU,
JA.<o:p></o:p>My lords, this is an appeal against
the judgment of the High Court, Kumasi delivered on the 26th day of
May 2009. The appellant in this matter was charged together with one David
Aweh, on the 13th day of August 2009 with four counts of offences,
that is: Conspiracy to commit crime, to wit: Robbery, contrary to sections
23(1) and 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29; Robbery, contrary to
section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29; Conspiracy to commit
crime, to wit: Defilement contrary to section 23(1) and 101 of the Criminal
Offences Act, 1960, Act 29 and Defilement, contrary to section 101 of the
Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29. After the trial, the learned High Court
Judge found the appellant not guilty on the charge of conspiracy to commit
robbery and therefore acquitted and discharged the appellant on that count. The
appellant was however found guilty on the other charges levelled against him.
He was therefore convicted by the trial Judge and sentenced to serve a prison
term of twenty (20) years.<o:p></o:p>The appellant initially filed a Notice
of Appeal on the grounds that:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The conviction is against the weight
of evidence adduced during appeal.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Additional grounds of appeal will be
filed upon receipt of the record of appeal.<o:p></o:p>Pursuant to leave of the court granted
on the 30th day of October 2019, counsel for the appellant filed two
additional grounds of appeal on behalf of the appellant in the following terms:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mitigation of sentence as the accused
has undergone reform and has shown remorse.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The conviction of the accused person
has occasioned miscarriage of justice.<o:p></o:p>With the leave of the court, granted
on the 25th day of January 2021, counsel filed written submissions
on the 26th day of January 2021 on behalf of the appellant whiles
the Attorney for the Republic filed a Response on behalf of the Republic on the
16th February 2021. It is interesting to remark that in his written
submissions, counsel for the appellant seems to have abandoned all the grounds
of appeal except the first additional ground of appeal. At page 2 of his
written submissions counsel stated, among others, that:<o:p></o:p>“My lords, given the
number of years spent in prison we have decided to argue the first additional
grounds of appeal which is for mitigation of sentence as the accused has
undergone reforms and has shown remorse”<o:p></o:p>Before examining the grounds of appeal
which the appellant has placed before this court, we wish to observe that there
is indication, at least, from the judgment of the trial Judge, that the
appellant gave evidence before th</main>