An armed robber, Paul Avortide, has been jailed for 19 years with hard labour for robbery.

The 25-year-old convict, on May 21, at about 4:00 am, at Tsikpota near New Housing, Ho, with a machete in his hand, threatened a pregnant woman by the name of Ogechi Chidiebere, a Nigerian resident in Ho.

The convict, Paul Avortide robbed the victim of her Gh¢ 3,000 and her Tecno Spark 30c mobile phone valued at Gh¢2,500 when she was on her way to attend antenatal care at the Ho Municipal Hospital.

On June 19, at about 6:00 pm, the Regional Police Intelligence team arrested Harmony Nbonu at the Ho Main Market, who was in possession of the stolen phone.

During interrogations, he mentioned Paul Avortide as the one who sold the phone to him at the cost of Gh¢ 850.00.

Coordinated efforts between the Police and the suspect, Hormony Nbonu, led to the arrest of the convict, Paul Avortide, at Matse, a suburb of Ho, when he was running away from Ho Township.

After police investigations, Paul Avortide was charged with the offence of robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences ACT. 1960 (ACT 29) as amended by the Criminal Offences (Amendment) ACT, 2003 (ACT 646).

Harmony Nbonu, on the other hand, was charged with the offence of Dishonestly Receiving Contrary to Section 146 of the Criminal Offences ACT, 1960 (ACT 29).

The two were arraigned before Ho Circuit Court presided over by His Honour, Osman Abdul Hakeem, Esq on Tuesday, July 1.

The first accused person (A1), Paul Avortide, pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery and was convicted on his own plea and sentenced to a prison term of 19 years in Hard Labour .

The second accused person, (A2), Harmony Nbonu was acquitted and discharged.

The convict has since been handed over to the Ho Regional Prison authorities to begin to serve his prison term.