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By PETER MIVA
THE National Court in Lae yesterday ended a day of drama with the
conviction of a prisoner who forced the court to hold a trial on one
count of armed robbery but admitted to the charge while giving his own
evidence.
The dramatic day of events started at 9.30am yesterday, when Jack Dama
Redstone, 21, from Kaupusus village, Chuave, Simbu province, appeared
before Justice Nicholas Kirriwom and pleaded not guilty to the
arraignment despite advice from his lawyer Mwagawa Mwawesi to plead
guilty.
This forced the lawyer and the arresting police officer to search for
the key witnesses, who had been advised to leave the court because the
prisoner was expected to admit to the charge.
Justice Kirriwom briefly adjourned the court and warned the lawyer to
find the witnesses before 1.30pm and told him that it would have been
better to keep the witnesses until after the prisoner had entered a plea
in the case that prisoners could change their pleas in the last minute.
When the court resumed at 1.30pm, three witnesses turned up to give
evidence that the prisoner was among others who were armed with
home-made guns and bush knives and robbed a Seeto Kui delivery truck
driver and his crew, who were unloading store cargo worth K2,000 to a
trade store at Kaisa Street, Bumayong in Lae on March 13, 2004.
Justice Kirriwom then discovered that there was a confessional statement
by the prisoner after the three witnesses had given evidence when the
prisoner was about to give his own evidence.
A frustrated Justice Kirriwom adjourned briefly to ascertain the true
nature of the prisoner’s plea as it was no use running a trial when the
prisoner had already tendered a confessional statement.
After the court resumed, the prisoner, adamant that he was not guilty,
admitted that he had taken part in the robbery but denied that he did
not join the others in driving the delivery truck away.
Justice Kirriwom told told the prisoner that the robbery had been
completed and the driving away of the delivery truck was unrelated to
the charge.
The judge subsequently found him guilty and reserved ruling on sentence
to 1.30pm today.
 
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