An American woman sentenced to 10 years with hard labor by an Accra Circuit Court for car snatching says she feels remorseful for the harm she and her fiancé caused their victim.
In tears, Skylah Leeann Marine Travis apologized to the victim, saying, “I did not mean to do that, I want to ask for forgiveness.”
The convict, who is unemployed, was sentenced alongside her Liberian fiancé, Daniel Ireland. Her sentence was initially deferred to Monday, January 10, 2025, pending the results of a pregnancy test. However, after the test returned negative, she is set to begin her jail term.
Travis, pleading for mitigation, stated that she and her fiancé were not in their right frame of mind at the time of the offense, explaining that they had traveled to Ghana for rehabilitation due to their drug addiction.
She admitted conspiring with her lover to rob the victim, an online (Bolt) driver, of his vehicle but denied stabbing him.
In addition to their jail sentences, the court ordered each convict to pay GH₵6,000 in compensation to their victim by January 31, 2025.
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Ireland, her accomplice and fiancé, was sentenced on January 15, 2025, to 10 years imprisonment with hard labor after pleading guilty to conspiracy, robbery, and causing harm by stabbing the complainant.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Oppong, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mrs. Susanna Eduful that the complainant (name withheld) is a Bolt driver residing in Ayi Mensah, Accra. Ireland is a graphic designer, and Travis is unemployed; both convicts resided at Teshie Malik.
On January 7, 2025, at around 12:30 a.m., the convicts requested the complainant’s services to transport them from the Church of Pentecost headquarters in Labadi to Teshie, a request to which he agreed.
The complainant, driving a Toyota Corolla S with registration number WT 364-24, arrived at the convicts’ residence in Malik, a suburb of Teshie.
ASP Oppong narrated that Ireland and Travis asked the complainant to wait while they collected their belongings for a trip to Madina. While the complainant waited in the vehicle, Ireland suddenly pulled a knife and stabbed him in the neck, demanding the vehicle.
A struggle ensued, resulting in severe injuries to the complainant’s neck, arms, and head, with blood profusely oozing from his wounds.
The convicts succeeded in robbing him of his vehicle, valued at GH₵160,000, an iPhone 13 Pro Max worth GH₵8,000, a Samsung S10 valued at GH₵2,950, and GH₵1,000 in cash.
A passerby rescued the unconscious complainant and rushed him to Teshie Gloryland Clinic before he was transferred to the University of Ghana Medical Centre, where he was admitted.
Following his discharge the next day, the case was reported to the police. Investigations revealed that the convicts had vacated their rented residence, leaving behind their passports, which the police retrieved. The landlady was informed to instruct them to report to the police station.
On January 9, 2025, the convicts were arrested, leading to the recovery of the stolen vehicle at the Kasoa Odeneho Hotel, where they had checked in after committing the crime.
In their respective caution statements, they admitted to the offenses, and after investigations, they were charged and brought before the court.
In passing sentence, the court considered their ages, the fact that they were first-time offenders, and their claim that they were under the influence of drugs, which had led them to Ghana for rehabilitation.
The judge advised them to seek rehabilitation after serving their jail terms to reintegrate into society and contribute meaningfully to their country’s development.
GNA