Baiyer man gets 30 years with hard labour for murder

By PETER MIVA
THE man who stabbed to death a final year accounting student from the PNG University of Technology in 2005 was sentenced to 30 years in jail with hard labour by the National Court in Lae last Friday.
Justice Sao Gabi sentenced Michael Lai, 25, from Pila village, Baiyer district, Western Highlands province, who pleaded guilty to the murder of Diana Kerowa at Kamkumung while she was on her way to town.
Lai expressed remorse but told the court that Kerowa was his wife and they had a child who is blind.
The court heard that the deceased was stabbed with a hunting knife at around noon on Sept 24, 2005.
The court heard that the knife penetrated her heart and left lung resulting in her death.
The court heard that Lai had spent K15,000 on her school fees and since she continued her studies, he alleged that she was having an affair with another man.
The court heard that Lai had come down from Mt Hagen to look for her and punish her.
The court also heard that the prisoner’s relatives and tribe had paid a compensation of K109,000 in cash, 212 pigs, three cows, two horses and six cassowaries to the dead woman’s family and relatives on June 6 and July 4, 2006.
Justice Gabi, in his ruling, told the court that the deceased was said to be the first woman from her tribe to have attended university and was the pride of her tribe.
He said that her death was a great loss to her family, relatives, tribe and the country as a whole.
Justice Gabi said that the attack was calculated to cause maximum harm.
“It was cold blooded murder done in broad day light in full public view,” he said.
He deducted the pre-trial custody period of the prisoner, leaving him to serve the remaining 27 years, 10 months and six days in hard labour.