Father of four ordered to pay K2,000 for assault

The Mount Hagen District Court imposed a K2,000 court fine on a father of four for assaulting another man and stealing his K500 in Hagen.
Magistrate Lydia Karre imposed the fine after the court found Thomas Negents guilty on Friday on two charges.
Negents from Ialibu, Southern Highlands, was arrested on Aug 1 in Mt Hagen and charged with unlawful assault and stealing.
Negents punched Mark Kami on Aug 1 in the company of other boys and in the process got his K500.
This happened while Kami was waiting for a bus to travel home.
Negents told the court that the victim was one of his wife’s clansmen who always stopped him from visiting his children.
The court was told that Negent’s wife Dorothy left him and went back to her village with all four children.
“Every time I go to my wife’s village to see my kids, her people stop me from seeing my kids and wife and this makes me angry,” he said.
He told the court he attacked Kami out of frustration.
“My wife force me to cause the trouble and I want to ask court to have mercy on me,” he said.
The court ordered him to pay K2,000 court fine within three months, he would be re-arrested, brought to court and be sent to jail if he fails to comply.