Grade 10 student stabbed with screwdriver dies in hospital

By MARJORIE FINKEO
A GRADE 10 student has died at the Port Moresby General Hospital emergency unit after being stabbed with a screw driver on Sunday.
Jeremiah Sibona Asi, 17, from Central and Gulf, attended La Salle Technical High at Hohola. He was stabbed with a screwdriver during a fight at Tokarara.
Asi’s elder brother Mathew Kila said his brother should have been alive if bleeding was stopped in the emergency unit and claimed he was left without treatment for three hours.
Asi was with seven friends at Tokarara market for a betel nut catch-up after playing rugby. More than 15 youths confronted them and provoked a fight.
Scott Joseph, 17, who was a witness, said the youths ran after him but he managed to escape with the others while Asi, who was sick, couldn’t run fast enough and was caught by the youths. They bashed him up badly.
“I was shock to see a truck drive towards Jeremiah and someone came out with a screwdriver and stabbed him,” he said.
He said it seemed like a plan because the passenger from the vehicle knew the youths.
Kila said the incident was reported to the Waigani police and the Corona’s Office for investigations when the death submission report was released at PMGH.
“Two suspects were captured at June Valley and were in police custody,” Kila said.
Asi, who was the eldest with two sisters, lived with their mother Rosemary Miriva. Their father died in 2007.
Waigani station commander Inspector Tony Kevan could not be reached for comment.