First-Time Offender Sentenced to 18 Months for Larceny

First-Time Offender Sentenced to 18 Months for Larceny

Olabisi Dalton Pratt, a first-time offender who is unemployed, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison following his guilty plea to a charge of larceny. Magistrate John Manso Fornah of Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown delivered the judgment on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

Pratt was charged with larceny, contrary to section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916. Court documents indicate that Pratt stole a Samsung A22 Ultra mobile phone, valued at eighteen thousand Leone, from Edward Johnson on Fergusson Lane, Western Area, Freetown.

The defendant entered a guilty plea when the charges were formally read and explained. Prosecutor Detective Police Constable 18233 Thoronka K.K. confirmed that Pratt had no prior criminal history. Both the caution statement and the charge sheet were submitted and admitted as part of the court's records.

Appearing without legal representation, Pratt requested the court's mercy and leniency. In his ruling, Magistrate Fornah acknowledged that Pratt, as a first-time offender, had saved the court's time and demonstrated remorse. However, the magistrate also noted the severity of the act, emphasizing that the defendant had permanently deprived the complainant of his property.

Magistrate Fornah sentenced Pratt to 18 months at the male correctional facility in Freetown. The court mandated that the sentence be served in full unless the stolen phone is successfully restored to the complainant.