Court takes stand against armed robbery

By GEORGINA KOREI
A JUDGE says the courts will take serious action against those charged and found guilty of armed robbery as this offence quite often resulted in the public being put in danger.
Waigani National Court Acting judge Tracy Ganaii said this when sentencing Joshua Tateva, 24, from Enga’s Laiagam to eight years imprisonment for armed robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
“With the increasing cases of armed robbery, the court will have to impose stricter penalties on offenders so it can be an awareness to others,” she said.
“I’m also guided by case laws and for armed robbery committed on the streets, the starting point is eight years and three years for unlawful use.”
Acting judge Ganaii said the eight years was not combined with the three years.
She said the time spent in remand deducted from the sentence would see the defendant serve only six years imprisonment.
Acting judge Ganaii told Tateva that the law would meet out harsher punishments for armed robbers because of the use of dangerous weapons and the threat to public safety.
“Armed robbery does not seem to stop. It is happening everyday using offensive weapons causing threats and fear to the innocent public,” she said.
The State submitted that Tateva had used a weapon to threaten the victim and his property was taken so a sentence of at least eight years was appropriate.