A Dei-dei Grade I Area Court in Abuja, on Monday, sentenced two friends to six months imprisonment for stealing a cell phone worth N95,000.
Martins Uche and Jude Emoabino, who had earlier pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and theft, however, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy and be lenient.
“I committed the offence. I beg the court to have mercy on me,’’ Uche said.
In his allocutus, Emoabino also asked the court for mercy and be lenient in imposing punishment on them.
“I plead for mercy, I ask that the complainant Miss Adams, forgives me and the court be lenient in punishing us.’’
Delivering judgment, Justice Sulyman Ola, convicted and sentenced the suspects following their admission to committing the crime.
“The court finds the convicts guilty of the offence, in line with their plea for mercy.
“And as first time offenders, who did not waste the time and resources of the court, Uche and Emoabino are hereby sentenced to six months imprisonment each with an option to pay N30, 000 fine,’’ Ola pronounced.
The judge also ordered the two men to pay the complainant, Miss Promise Adams, N95, 000 as compensation, which the prosecutor had requested.
Ola said that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to those who would want to indulge in any criminal act.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel Mr Chinedu Ogada told the court that the Uche, 23, student and Emoabino, 28, electrician both of Zuba, Abuja were arraigned on three counts of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and theft.
Ogada said Miss Promise Adams, of Mararaba, Nasarawa State, reported the matter at Zuba police station on March 11, at about 2:00pm.
He stated that, on March 8, the convicts, jointly conspired and collected the complainant’s techno phone, valued at N95, 000 under the pretence of making call.
Ogada added that the convicts ran to an unknown destination, and later sold the phone to someone else.
The prosecution counsel said during police investigation both defendants admitted to committing the offence.
He started that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 79, 312 and 287 of the Penal Code Law.
