Gun-toting student gets six years

 By JUNIOR UKAHA

A STUDENT who used a firearm to threaten students at another school has been jailed for six years by the Lae District Court.

Magistrate Nasaling Bingtau jailed Cletus Faro, 17, a Grade 11 student of Dregerhafen High School in Finschhafen, Morobe, after finding him guilty on Wednesday of using a homemade gun to threaten students at Salamaua High School.

The court heard that on July 17 between 6 and 7pm, Faro and an accomplice, while under the influence of alcohol, went to the school and assaulted a student who was eating in the school mess.

The court heard that when the other students saw the commotion they wanted to retaliate but Faro pointed the gun at them and threatened to shoot them.

Students and teachers at the school later wrestled the gun from Faro and handed him over to the police while his co-accused fled the scene. 

The accused, originally from Sisirio village, Finschhafen, Morobe, was on holidays at Salamaua when he committed the offence. 

Faro had pleaded guilty and asked for leniency.

“Some students at the school swore at us first when we were drinking (alcohol). They started it,” Faro told the court.

“It is a false gun and I just only wanted to frighten them. 

“I am a student and ask the court to put me on good behaviour bond.”

Bingtau, however, told the accused that his actions were criminal in nature and he had the intention to harm other people.

“It does not matter whether it is a false gun or not. You were there with the intention to harm other students,” Bingtau told Faro.

“Teachers at your school did not teach you properly so you will go to Buimo where warders will teach you properly so that you come out a changed person.”

Faro was sentenced to five years in jail for illegally possessing a firearm and one year for threatening another student. He will serve the terms concurrently.