21-year-olds to face attempted murder trial

By BEVERLY PETER
TWO 21-years-old men charged with attempting to murder another man a year ago were committed to stand trial in the Waigani National Court yesterday.
Magistrate Danny Wakikura made the ruling after going through the Section 96 statements of Jeffry Namona, of Ebunatou village in Rigo, Central, and Duncan Penias, of Wakonai village in Bulubul, Milne Bay.
He said the evidence was sufficient to commit the pair to trial.
“There is enough evidence to show that force was used in violence and the statements also indicated the involvement of violence,” he said.
“These evidence will properly be tested in a trial in the National Court.”
According to the police brief, Namona and Penias allegedly assaulted Bokame Steven with a piece of timber and fists on the evening of Sept 6, 2020.
Namona and Penias allegedly hit Steven twice on his head with a timber and punched him several times which resulted in serious injury to his brain.
Steven underwent surgery on his brain and was confined to the intensive care unit for several months.
Steven had allegedly asked Namona and Penias for some beer as the pair were drinking and this led to an argument.
Namona and Penias refused to give Steven any beer and he assaulted the pair with a piece of timber, but, a bystander stopped him and removed the timber from him.
Penias then got the timber and hit Steven twice on his head and he fell on the ground.
Namona and Penias continued to attack Steven while he was lying on the ground before being stopped by bystanders.