An Upper Area Court in Zuba, Abuja, on Thursday ordered that a tailor, Joseph Raphael, be given 12 strokes of the cane for trespass and attempt to steal.
Raphael 20, a driver, who resides at Wazobia Dutse Baipma , Abuja, was sentenced for criminal trespass and attempt to commit an offence
He pleaded guilty and begged the court for leniency.
The judge, Gambo Garba, said that the punishment would have been severe if he had not pleaded guilty.
Garba said the guilty plea had saved the court the pains of long prosecution.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Chinedu Ogada, told the court that the complainant, Victoria Ugwoke of the same address, reported the matter at the Dutse Alhaji Police Station on Aug. 8.
Ogada told the court that at about 7: a.m. on the same date, the convict criminally trespassed into the complainant’s house with the intention to steal her property.
He said that the convict, who was apprehended and handed over to the police, admitted to committing the crime while the complainant was in the church.
According to Ogada, police investigations revealed that the convict is a habitual criminal.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 348 and 288of the Penal Code.