Allister John, the prime suspect in the murder case of a 35-year-old businesswoman in Sokoban, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a separate theft case.
He was convicted on two counts of stealing at the Asokwa Circuit Court.
The charges were related to the theft of a mobile phone valued at four thousand Ghana cedis and the theft of GHC 167,666 in cash from another businesswoman named Gloria Morrison, who resides in Bantama within the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly of the Ashanti region.
Gloria Morrison, herself a businesswoman from Bantama in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly of the Ashanti region, was the victim in this case. The police investigation revealed that the suspect, identified as Allister John, had previously worked with the complainant at a Bantama hotel as a receptionist in 2022. He left the position but returned to the establishment in July 2023. Upon his reemployment at the hotel, Gloria Morrison asked for his assistance in adjusting her mobile phone’s settings.
Instead of providing the requested help, he took off with the phone. Later, he accessed the phone and used its mobile app to withdraw GHC 167,666 from the complainant’s bank account.
During the sentencing proceedings at the Asokwa Circuit Court, the court considered various factors. Notably, the court recognized that the convict had no prior convictions at the time of sentencing. The presiding judge, Her Honor Vida Yeboah, also took into account the convict’s age and the fact that he admitted to the charges, which saved the court’s time.
For the first count of stealing, involving the phone valued at GHC 4,000, Allister John received a 20-year prison sentence. Additionally, he was sentenced to 20 years for the second count of stealing, related to the GHC 167,666 withdrawn from the complainant’s bank account using the mobile app. Both sentences are to be served concurrently.
During the court proceedings, the convict, Allister John, broke into tears, knelt down, and pleaded with the court to reconsider the sentencing. However, the court firmly stated that the ruling had already been made, and no further adjustments could be considered. Consequently, he was escorted out of the courtroom by the police and taken into custody in preparation for his imprisonment.
