A 26-year-old man was sentenced to death by hanging yesterday by Delta State High Court sitting in Warri, for robbing a couple at gunpoint and raping their teenage daughter.

CEOAFRICA.com gathered from sources that Chijioke Ede, furniture maker, was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery and rape before the court presided over by Justice Marshall Mukoro.

He was found guilty on all the charges and sentenced to death on count one and two, while he got life imprisonment on the charge of rape.

Chijioke was said to have committed the crime along with another person still at large, on October 12, 2009, at Okoro Street, Warri, off Marine Gate. He robbed his victims of a DVD player, a laptop computer, cash, jewelries and other valuables at gunpoint and also raped their teenage daughter.

Meanwhile, having perpetuated the crimes, he was arrested by the vigilante group in their area, but his gang ran away with the stolen items.

While delivering his judgement, Justice Mukoro said,“With the avalanche of facts and evidences before this court, for the accused to say he was not involved in the crime is laughable and an afterthought.

“For the court to hold the evidence of the accused will amount to denial of justice, thereby bringing the bar and the bench to disrepute.

“I hereby uphold the evidence of prosecution as all the ingredients of the offence have been proved beyond reasonable doubt and sentence the accused to death by hanging on count one and two.”