Duo sentenced for murder

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
THE National Court in Daru has sentenced two men to a total of 70 years in jail for murdering an 18-year-old boy in Western to steal a music boom box speaker worth K5.
Judge Danny Koegat sentenced Paul Tom and Benjamin Emma last week to serve their jail terms with hard labour at Bomana.
The court was told that they knifed Ruben Nakati, 18, to death on Oct 20 2018 and stole his Bluetooth-operated music boom box speaker worth K5.
Nakati was a grade 12 student at Daru Secondary and had just completed the national examination.
Tom from Koahu village in South Fly will serve 30 years in jail.
However, the court deducted 10 months for the length of time he spent in detention at Bomana awaiting sentencing.
He will serve 29 years and two months.
Emma from Samari village in South Fly will serve 40 years.
The court also deducted 10 months.
The two men came across Nakati at about 10.30pm while he was strolling along the road listening to his music boom box.
They attempted to grab the box from him and during the struggle, they attacked him with a knife.
Meanwhile, three police officers are in custody for allegedly bashing up three people with the baseball bat.
They also allegedly destroyed a betel-nut stall and stole money belonging to the vendors who they accused of bootlegging.
The officers were allegedly under the influences of alcohol when they committed the offences.
They have been charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm.