Increase alcohol abuse jail time to 2 years, says magistrate

ALCOHOL abuse is causing many problems in society and the maximum penalty should be increased from six months to two years in jail, a magistrate says.
Boroko District Court Magistrate Mathew Maitang on Friday made the statement when reprimanding a 22-year-old student for being drunk and disorderly.
“In fact, alcohol may be one of the biggest sources of instability among young people,” Magistrate Maitang said.
Remsley Lapakio told the court that he was unemployed and was living with his mother who had paid his K300 bail money.
He said the alcohol was bought by a friend.
Magistrate Maitang asked Lapakio: “Do you think you have any use to society?
“A companion of alcohol shall (always) be poor.”
He told Lapakio that if he continued to consume alcohol at his age, he would develop a habit of drinking when he started working.
He suggested that the maximum penalty of six months in jail be increased to two years because alcohol had been causing too many problems.
Magistrate Maitang sentenced Lapakio to six months in jail but suspended the sentence and placed him on a six-month good behaviour bond.
He was told to also refrain from taking alcohol during that period.
On Dec 19 last year, at around 6pm in a Port Moresby suburb, Lapakio while drunk, went to a trade store and ordered it be opened even though the owner had closed it to observe Sabbath.
Lapakio damaged the front portion of the store. The owner had tried to calm him down.