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Yaw Boateng, a 28-year-old electrician in Berekum, has been sentenced to 53 years� imprisonment by a Sunyani Circuit Court. The court, presided over by John Ekow Mensah, yesterday slapped the jail term on Yaw Boateng after it found him guilty on two counts of conspiracy to commit crime contrary to Section 23 sub-section (1) of Act 2960 and robbery contrary to Section 149 of Act 2960. Prosecuting, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ASP) Mawuonyo Nanegbe, told the court that Yaw Boateng and his two accomplices, who are currently at large, on January 17, 2014 at about 4:30pm asked the taxi driver, who was in charge of an Opel Astra with registration number BA 949-11, to transport them from the Sunyani Nana Bosoma Market to Baakoniaba, a suburb of Sunyani. The prosecutor said upon reaching an area near the Holy Spirit Convent, the suspects asked the driver to stop.They alighted from the vehicle and Yaw Boateng attempted to give money to the driver. One of the suspects immediately removed an electric wire and attempted to tie him but the driver pushed him. Yaw Boateng then pulled a sledge hammer and used it to hit the driver�s right arm. He attempted to hit him again on the head but the driver mustered courage and held the hammer and struggled with him. In the process, the two fell in a gutter and the driver raised the alarm. A carpenter quickly rushed to the scene to help him. The two suspects quickly seized the vehicle and sped off, but Yaw Boateng was arrested afterwards. Yaw Boateng, in his caution statement, admitted the offence. The prosecutor said messages from the police were relayed to all stations for personnel to be on the alert, and on January 18, 2014, at about 6pm, police personnel on duty at the Berekum barrier chased the vehicle. Unfortunately, they abandoned the vehicle, which has since been retrieved and took to their heels.