Mechanic gets four years for necklace theft

A Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos yesterday sentenced an auto mechanic, Babatunde Adedeji, to four years imprison/ment for damaging a woman’s car and stealing her gold necklace.

Chief Magistrate Oluwatoyin Ojuromi convicted Adedeji, 29, on two counts of stealing and malicious damage.

She sentenced Adedeji to two years each on each count without an option of fine.

But the sentences will run concurrently, meaning Adedeji will spend only two years in jail.

Chief Magistrate Ojuromi held: “You are hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment on each count. The counts will run concurrently, with no option of fine. ”

She said the sentence will begin from June 22, 2017, the date the convict was arraigned.

Ojuromi added: “This sentence will deter those with similar intentions. Cases of theft have become so rampant in the society.”

She advised the convict to be of good behaviour and avoid committing crime in future.

During Adedeji’s arraignment, prosecuting Sergeant Godwin Oriabure told the court that he committed the offences at about 4:15pm on June 20, 2017, on Anthony Oke bridge, near Oshodi, Lagos.

The court heard that Adedeji broke into Mrs. Eva Christian’s Toyota Corolla car while she was in traffic and cut her gold necklace worth N200, 000 off her neck.

Oriabure said in the process of trying to steal the necklace, Adedeji strangled the complainant and damaged her door glass valued at N40,000.

The offences contravene sections 285 and 348 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.