The Magistrate, Mrs A. K. Shonubi, sentenced the convict after she found him guilty of stealing and obtaining by false pretence. Shonubi discharged and acquitted the convict on the count of conspiracy. The sentence is to run concurrently should he fail to pay the fine.
“It will serve as a deterrent to others,” she said.
Shonubi also ruled that the sentence should be with hard labour. The convict, a businessman who resided at 6 Elibel St., Abesan Estate, Abesan, Lagos, was tried for conspiracy, stealing and obtaining by false pretence.
Court sentences businessman to 1 year, 3 months for stealing car in Lagos.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Innocent Odugbo, told the court that the offences were committed on May 31, 2018, at Block 7, Ipaja, Lagos. Innocent said that the convict went to the garage of Mr Abimbola Ajayi to buy a Toyota Venza valued at ₦5 million.
The prosecutor said that the convict took the complainant to a first bank branch, where he lied to have transferred the money to his account. The prosecutor said the Toyota Venza was released to him based on his grave and sincere appearance.
Odugbo said the complainant didn’t get the alert, and all efforts to see the convict failed until he was arrested through information the police got about his whereabouts.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Sections 287, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
