Court: Use of violence to steal is robbery

By TABITHA NERO
PEOPLE who use violence to steal from other people should be charged with armed robbery not stealing, says a magistrate.
“Holding up girls and lone males at knife or gun point is an act of violence and those involved should be charged accordingly,” Boroko District Court magistrate Laura Kuvi said.
She said this when striking out the case of a man charged with assault and stealing.
Andy Minape, 21, from Hela, while in the company of others was alleged to have attacked George Muci and another person, armed with a small kitchen knife in an attempt to steal Muci’s car and wallet containing K250 cash at the Stop N Shop, Boroko, in the National Capital District on Jan 2.
“Young police officers need to get more training in order to lay appropriate charges,” Kuvi said.
The court struck out the matter based on defective information and want of prosecution.
Meanwhile, a similar case of a man charged with threatening behaviour and stealing was also struck out by the court yesterday.
Solomon Rapa, 22, from the Kagua-Erave district of Southern Highlands was caught by police after he allegedly stole a phone from a woman at knife point, outside Vision City, on Nov 5, last year.
“There is a difference between armed robbery and stealing. Armed robbery is robbing with the use of actual violence, stealing does not involve violence but is the taking of something without the owner’s consent,” Kuvi said.