Court asks man facing murder charge to give his story

THE Lae Committal Court has asked a man charged with murder to give his side of the story because it had found sufficient evidence to send him to the National Court for a trial.
Philip James Khay, 20, from Marikul village in Sinasina, Chimbu, appeared before magistrate Pious Tapil on Friday.
The court heard that eyewitnesses were present during the alleged murder.
Magistrate Tapil said the court relied on those state witnesses, who had identified the accused.
He told the accused to decide whether to engage a lawyer or submit his story against the charge when he appeared on April 10.
Police alleged that on Sept 28 last year, there was a dance at Lae Football Associating club which ended at around 2am when the incident happened.
It was alleged that the accused walked out and without a good reason stabbed Manu Mari Yakob on the left side of his neck with a sharp object which police claimed was a scissors or a knife. The accused allegedly stabbed another person, Judy Wala, on the right side of her stomach when she and her friend tried to run away.
Police reports said Vala yelled for help and some boys came to her aid but Khay disappeared among the crowd coming out of the club.
It was alleged that when the accused went to the gate, he stabbed Emmanuel Bomai with the same object on the left side of his stomach. All three victims were rushed to the Angau Memorial General Hospital and treated but Bomai died later.
The other two were treated and discharged.
Khay was charged with one count of wilful murder.