Chinese couple fined K500 each for assault, insult

THE Lae District Court on Friday found a Chinese couple guilty of assault and insult and fined them K500 each and imposed a K1000 compensation to be paid to the victim.
The court heard that Min Zeng, 36, and wife Shu Ding Wu, 35, both from Fuqing village, Fujian district of China, assaulted and insulted the complainant on Christmas Eve at Kamkumung in Lae.
The complainant, Lae-based EMTV news journalist Julie Badui Owa, was with four children, her mother and her children’s babysitter inside the shop, which is part of a fuel and gas station.
She was telling three Chinese men to stop smoking inside the shop when she was punched on her face twice by the Chinese man and further insulted by the Chinese woman.
The lawyer representing the couple asked the court that a lesser penalty be given since the case was not that serious.
He asked the court to impose K300 fine each for the offences, taking into account that the issue had gone viral on social media and main stream media.
He further asked the court to stop social and main stream media from reporting what had transpired in the court room, especially with the court decision.
The police prosecutor told the court that since the complainant was a customer in the store, a maximum penalty would be fitting.
He presented that to the court after taking into account the nearby service station which sells fuel and gas as well was close to where the Chinese was smoking.
Magistrate Stanley Bino said foreigners must respect the citizens of this country.
“All foreigners in this country must respect the rule of law in this country and abide by it,” Bino said.
He also asked that the complainant and her people stop making unnecessary comments regarding the issue.
The passports of the couple are with police.