Lae district court acquits man accused of resisting arrest

THE Lae District Court yesterday acquitted a man accused of resisting police arrest after state witnesses failed to appear in court for trial.
Defendant Paul Karl was charged with being possession of an offensive weapon, a bush knife, and resisting arrest. Magistrate Issac Tjipet dismissed the case for want of prosecution because state witnesses to the alleged offence were not present in court.
“Take this as a warning and stay away from committing crimes,” he told the defendant, who had been in remand since Aug 28.
Police reports alleged that on Aug 28 at LiLu Enterprise Admin compound in Lae, there was an incident were a man was hit with a bottle by a group of drunks.
The injured man was taken to Angau Hospital for treatment and his wife then called police and reported the incident.
Police went to the area and spotted Karl allegedly drunk and armed with a bush knife.
Police questioned Karl about the incident but he said he knew nothing.
Karl told police that he was a private security guard employed by a shop as a night guard and the bush knife was his weapon.
The officers then asked him to accompany them to the police station but he refused to cooperate with them.