A Grade 1 Area Court in Kado, Abuja, on Wednesday sentenced a man, Tunde Taiye, to four months imprisonment for phone theft.

The convict, who resides at Lento Life Camp, Abuja, was sentenced  following his guilty plea.

The judge, Alhaji Ahmed Ado, who delivered the judgment, however, gave the convict an option of N5,000 fine.

Ado also advised Taiye to desist from committing crime and that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others.

Earlier, Police Prosecutor Judith Obatomi, told the court that the complainant, Chinonso Ngene of Jabi Daki-biyu, Abuja, reported the case at Utako Police Station, Abuja, on Aug. 27.

Obatomi said the complainant met the convict at a Zenith Bank branch and the convict asked her to help him write N5, 000 in words.

According to the prosecutor, while Ngene was assisting Taiye to fill the bank withdrawal slip, he surreptitiously stole her Techno phone valued at N55,000.

Obatomi said that luck, however, ran out on the convict and he was arrested and the phone recovered.

The offence contravened Section 288 of the Penal Code.

NAN