Larceny and stealing

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 2012

Principle established: A person convicted of receiving stolen goods may apply for bail pending appeal, although costs are generally not awarded in such criminal applications.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 2015

Principle established: An application for bail pending appeal may be considered by the Court of Appeal following a conviction for receiving stolen goods, often supported by medical or legal grounds.

Kenya · 2017

Principle established: A sentence for burglary following a plea of guilty may be challenged on appeal if it is considered harsh or excessive under the circumstances of the offence.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1975

Principle established: An indictment for embezzlement is defective if it omits the word "fraudulently", as fraudulent intention is an essential element that must be specifically averred in the particulars of offence.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1975

Principle established: An indictment charging embezzlement must explicitly aver the element of fraudulent intention, and the omission of the word "fraudulently" renders the charge fatally defective.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 2012

Principle established: An applicant convicted of receiving stolen goods and sentenced to imprisonment may apply for bail pending the determination of their appeal.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1975

Principle established: Where evidence in a larceny trial is conflicting and complex, the trial judge must provide adequate guidance in summing up, failure of which renders a guilty verdict unsafe.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1975

Principle established: A conviction for larceny will be quashed where the trial judge fails to guide the jury on conflicting and complex evidence during the summing up.

Sierra Leone — African Law Reports · 1964-66

Principle established: A storekeeper who receives his employer's goods into the store and subsequently removes them animo furandi commits larceny by a servant rather than embezzlement.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1965

Principle established: A storekeeper who receives his employer's goods into the store and subsequently removes them animo furandi commits larceny by a servant rather than embezzlement.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1923

Principle established: An employee commits larceny as a servant when they take funds belonging to their employer against instructions and without consent with the intent to permanently deprive.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1962

Principle established: An appellate court will not disturb a jury's finding of guilt for larceny unless the verdict is unreasonable or unsupported by the evidence.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1962

Principle established: A conviction for larceny will be upheld on appeal if supported by sufficient credible evidence presented at trial.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1961

Principle established: A criminal conviction will be quashed where the trial judge errs by failing to present evidence favourable to the accused in the summing-up to the assessors.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1963

Principle established: Conversion of funds received in the capacity of a school board manager constitutes criminal misappropriation rather than a breach of a separate trust deed.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1963

Principle established: Conversion of funds received as a school board manager constitutes criminal misappropriation rather than a breach of a separate trust deed.

Ghana · 2026

Principle established: A person commits the offence of stealing by dishonestly appropriating property, such as a vehicle, that was temporarily entrusted to them by the owner.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1974

Principle established: Under section 1(2)(iii) of the Larceny Act 1916, 'owner' includes a person having custody of property, and the circumstances of receipt may themselves sufficiently prove that property was stolen.

Zimbabwe · 2022

Principle established: Theft of trust property occurs when a person unlawfully converts goods or money held on behalf of another to their own use in violation of a trust agreement.

Zimbabwe · 2022

Principle established: Theft is committed when a person in a position of trust intercepts and sells property belonging to their employer for personal gain without authorization.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1960

Principle established: A judge sitting alone cannot convict an accused merely because he disbelieves his explanation where that defence might reasonably be true.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1923

Principle established: Money deposited in a bank account becomes the bank's property as a debtor, so a servant with authority to withdraw it who misappropriates the funds does not commit larceny by a servant against the employer.