Cops plead for mercy in court

TWO policemen who killed a man on Independence Day anniversary in Port Moresby two years ago have apologised to the Waigani National Court for their actions.
John Selan Lavona, from Manus, and Andrew Kupuso, from East Sepik, pleaded for mercy before Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika on Friday.
Lavona said his actions had caused pain to the deceased and his family.
“May the court have mercy and forgive me for my negligence which claimed a life while I was on duty,” he told the court.
“I am married with two children aged 6 and 8 and they need a father figure in their life for love, guidance and protection.”
Kupuso, who also apologised for his actions, asked the court to give him a non-custodial sentence.
On Sept 16, 2019, between 1pm and 2pm at the Rainbow bus stop, Lavona and Kupuso arrived in a marked police vehicle and chased away betel nut vendors.
The court heard that the pair were interested in the deceased who was carrying a bag which they claimed contained marijuana.
The deceased was then chased to the other side of the road and into the Jubilee University premises and he eventually jumped the fence into the Port Moresby National High School premises.
The deceased ran towards the school’s spiked fence facing the main road and was trying to climb it but was caught and in a dangerous position with his body caught on the spikes.
Kupuso proceeded to attack the deceased with an aluminum baseball bat.
During submissions on sentence on Friday the State submitted that the maximum penalty of the charge would be 20-30 years imprisonment due to the fact that the deceased was defenceless and unarmed.
Lawyer Malcolm Sumbuk, who represented Lavona and Kupuso, said both men were first-time offenders and both did not intend to kill the deceased.
Sumbuk said the deceased died from the wounds sustained from jumping over the spiked fence.