Court withdraws woman’s guilty plea

By PETER MIVA
THE National Court in Lae yesterday withdrew the guilty plea of a woman charged with murder and set the matter for trial hearing.
Cathy Willie, from Bogia, Madang province, appeared yesterday before National Court judge Justice Sao Gabi, who set the matter for call-over on March 5 to set a trial date after she pleaded guilty but told the court that she had acted in self-defence in the alleged killing of her husband.
The accused appeared in court and admitted to a charge of murder after Justice Gabi read out the indictment to her and the story supporting the charge.
Justice Gabi told her that she had a right to say something before her lawyer could proceed with further submissions.
She then told the court that the charge was true but she had acted in self-defence outside the Rabaul Shipping office on that fateful day, last May 29.
The accused told the court that she was picked up three times by her husband and dumped to the ground in a fight, allegedly over an adulteress affair by her husband with another woman.
The accused told the court that she intended to stab her husband, Robert Makao, on the arm but instead the knife penetrated the deceased on his right rib causing him to bleed to death.
Justice Gabi, after a discussion with the defence counsel and the State lawyer, agreed that the accused be given a fair trial and subsequently withdrew the accused earlier plea of guilty.

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