Court jails labourer for stealing mattress

January 18, 2017 11:33 PM

A 26-year-old laborer has been charged a N20,000 fine for stealing a mattress.

32 year old man in court for stealing mobile phone.

A Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja on Wednesday, sentenced a labourer,

Onyeakusi, who resides at Gwagwa Tacha village, Abuja, was arraigned on a two-count charge of house-breaking and theft.

He admitted to committing the offences.

The Senior Judge, Mr Garba Ogbede, who delivered the judgment, however, gave the convict a fine option of N20, 000.

Ogbede said that the punishment would have been more severe if Onyeakusi had not pleaded guilty and saved the court the pains of prolonged prosecution.

He warned him against taking to crimes again.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Miss Vivian Oporomo, told the court that on Dec. 21, 2016, the convict broke into an apartment at Trademore Estate, Lugbe, and stole one mattress belonging to Lategau Engineering Company.

She said that the convict was apprehended and handed over to police at Lugbe Police Station.

Oporomo said that during police investigation, the convict admitted committing the offence.

She said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 354 and 287 of the Penal Code.

Following the plea of the convict, the prosecutor prayed the court to try him summarily under Section 347 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.