Fisherman to spend 40 years in jail for robbery, rape

A fisherman who assaulted and robbed a woman in the presence of her two young children in Banana Inn, Accra, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.

The convict, Emmanuel Tetteh, also known as "666," Escobar, and Commetey, pleaded not guilty to robbery charges during the trial at an Accra Circuit Court. 

However, the court presided over by Judge Isaac Addo found him guilty and handed down a lengthy sentence.

Tetteh was already serving a six-year sentence for stealing a mobile phone and cash. The phone, equipped with a tracking device, led authorities to his arrest.

In delivering the verdict, the judge emphasized the deliberate and heinous nature of Tetteh’s actions. The court noted that during the robbery, Tetteh also sexually assaulted the victim in front of her daughters, aged three and five. Furthermore, the offense was committed while he was already facing another criminal case in Circuit Court 10, Accra.

The judge remarked that such actions demonstrated a dangerous criminal mindset, rendering Tetteh unfit to remain in society. The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, also urged the court to impose the harshest penalty possible, given Tetteh's history of criminal behavior.

During the trial, the prosecution called two witnesses, while the defense presented Tetteh’s wife as a witness.

The case unfolded as follows: the victim, whose identity remains protected, resides in Abolo Bridge, Banana Inn, while Tetteh was a resident of Chorkor. On June 23, 2022, around 6 a.m., the victim reported to the police that she had been attacked earlier that morning. She explained that she had fallen asleep on her sofa and awoke at 3 a.m. to find her sliding window and burglar-proof door open.

Initially, the victim believed her daughter might have left them unlocked. However, moments later, Tetteh emerged from her bedroom, holding a knife to her throat. He ordered her to remain silent, lie down, and hand over her Samsung Galaxy A12 phone, valued at GHC900, which was nearby.

Tetteh then forced the victim to show him where she kept her money, speaking to her in Ga. He led her to the bedroom, where he took GHC2,090 in cash, along with additional unspecified amounts. When the victim resisted his further demands, Tetteh struck her and sexually assaulted her. He used a bedsheet to clean himself before fleeing the scene.

Police investigations revealed that Tetteh had employed similar methods in previous offenses, some of which were already before the courts. On July 15, 2024, the victim identified Tetteh during an identification parade.