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There was drama in court yesterday when Mohammed Mustapha, a motorcycle repairer burst into tears before he was handed a 10-year jail term for robbing a student of a mobile phone valued at GH¢650.00.

The convict who asked the court to temper justice with mercy robbed an 18-year-old student of the University of Ghana, Legon, on February 21, at Lashibi in Accra.

In passing sentence, presiding judge of Accra Circuit Court “1” Mr Aboagye Tandoh said, “It is okay my friend, to err is human.”

Mr Tandoh said the sentence handed to Mohammed was the minimum and that he took into consideration the plea for mitigation and the fact that Mohammed had shown remorse.

The convict, dressed in a pair of jeans over a shirt to match was spotted murmuring and occasionally raising his head up as if he was praying and asking for divine intervention.

The judge noted that although it was the courage of the young girl that led to the arrest of the convict as she held firmly to the motorcycle Mohammed used to rob her and subsequently raised the alarm, the attempt, though legendary was not worth it because “life is precious.”

Prosecuting, Superintendent Kwaku Bempah told the court that Mohammed resides at Ashaiman, while the complainant lives at Community 14 Annex, Lashibi.

He said on February 21, 2018, at about 7:30pm, the convict; riding on an unregistered Apsonic Jungle motorcycle snatched the complainant’s Infinix mobile phone on her way home from lectures and tried to escape.

The court heard that the girl held his shirt and hanged on the motorcycle shouting for help “my phone my phone.”

Supt. Bempah said Mohammed dragged her to a distance until they fell into a gutter resulting in injuries to the complainant.

According to the police officer, passersby went to the rescue of the complainant and arrested the convict.

He said Mohammed admitted the offence in his caution statement.