Court wants bail increased

MT HAGEN District Court is telling police to impose a K1,000 bail on people arrested and charged with domestic violence.
Magistrate Lydia Karre told police prosecutors in her court room yesterday to tell arresting officers to impose more than K1,000 police bail.
Karre said domestic violence was criminal and carried a maximum penalty of a K5,000 court fine or two years’ imprisonment.
She said this after some people arrested and charged with domestic violence under the Family Protection Act appeared before her and were released on bail for K200-K500 police bail.
Karre said this after Esther Wai made a plea in court to set her husband free after he was charged with domestic violence.
The husband, Charles Wai, 36, from Kekapale village, Baiyer-Lumusa, allegedly attacked her by kicking and punching her all over her face on July 3.
Wai was arrested recently and charged with domestic violence under Family Protection Act and released on a K400 police bail.
He appeared in court yesterday and pleaded guilty.
Esther told the court that she wanted him to pay her compensation outside.
She also asked the court not to send him to jail but impose a court fine.
She said that she had four children to look after and it would be hard for her when her husband was in jail.
Karre told her that the court would not award compensation to the complainant in a domestic violence case
“The court will only impose jail term or tell the offender found guilty to pay court fine,” she said.
The police prosecutor asked the court to impose maximum penalty because Wai was a second-time offender.
Police told the court that in 2013, Wai committed a similar offence against his wife.
After considering the plea and application on Wai’s sentence, she imposed a K2,000 court fine.
She told Wai that his K400 police bail would be converted into court fine.
Karre ordered Wai to find another K1,600 and pay the up to K2,000 or in default he would serve six months in jail.