Fined for dangerous driving, not obeying order

LAE District Court Magistrate Isaac Tjipet, on Friday, described failing to comply with lawful police instructions and dangerous driving, as serious and prevalent offences.
Both charges carry a maximum court fine not exceeding K10,000 or a prison term of not more than a year for failing to comply with lawful instruction and six months or less for dangerous driving.
Magistrate Tjipet told Jonathan Nori, 26, from Kumbugin village in Dei, Western Highlands, that the charges were serious.
Nori told the court that he had been assaulted while in police custody and sustained injuries.
“Police should have just arrested me and charged me and not hit me like this,” he told the court.
Magistrate Tjipet told Nori to file a complaint with the public complaint section at the police station.
Magistrate Tjipet took into consideration Nori’s early guilty plea, that he was a first time offender and also that he had allegedly been mistreated by police.
Nori was fined K500 on the first charge, which his K900 police bail would be converted to cover and K500 for the second charge which the rest of his bail would cover; Nori will pay the balance of K100 in 14 days or risk a three-month jail term.
The court heard that Nori committed the offences at Kisere St in Lae on Oct 21 when he parked his vehicle in the middle of the road while loading cargo.
He was obstructing the flow of traffic when police tried to approach him but he quickly sped off and almost hit a police officer.