A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Agbowa, Lagos State, on Monday sentenced a 24-year-old man, Daniel Johnson, to four months imprisonment for stealing goods worth N70,000.

Mr Johnson had been remanded in Correctional facility since his first arraignment on June 19, 2018, on two counts charges of breach of peace and theft.

Although the defendant had earlier pleaded not guilty to the offences, the court on Monday found him guilty on the second count of theft.

The Magistrate, C.K Tunji-Carrena, consequently sentenced the convict to four months imprisonment in a Correctional Centre.

Mrs Tunji-Carrena, however, freed the convict, saying he had been in detention since August 2019.

“I find the defendant guilty on count two as the prosecution has been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that you committed felony to wit stealing.

“I hereby sentence you to four months imprisonment. But having been in detention since August, 2019, you are hereby free to go,” she ruled.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Yomi Egunjobi, a police inspector, told the court during the trial that the defendant committed the offences on June 18, 2018, around 2:30 a.m. at Government Model College, Owutu Ikorodu.

He said the defendant scaled the fence of the school and stole two gas cylinders, one tabletop cooker and school mattress all valued at N70,000.

Mr Egunjobi said the school maintenance officer and Security Guard caught the defendant as he tried to escape with the stolen items.