Man gets 12 years for killing

THE Buimo National Court has sentenced a man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter to 12 years for killing another man with a kitchen knife.
National Court judge Justice John Kaumi told Timothy Wap that his callous actions had resulted in the death of a man on a day that should have been a happy one – his son’s birthday.
“From a moment of celebration to a moment of tragedy, as an educated man, you should have known that beating your wife was wrong,” he said.
Justice Kaumi said it was unfortunate that an instance of domestic violence led to the killing of another man who was trying to intervene.
The court heard that on Oct 27, 2018, Wap was celebrating his son’s birthday with family and friends at the Polytechnical Institute in Lae.
Wap, who was drunk, had an argument with his wife and beat her.
The institute’s guards allegedly intervened and assaulted Wap who then took a knife and chased his brother and others at the party.
The victim, Benjamin Anis, tried to stop him but Wap stabbed him in the chest, killing him.
Justice Kaumi sentenced Wap to 12 years for manslaughter but deducted one year and five months for time spent in custody.
He also suspended four years and seven months after taking into consideration submissions from the defence and prosecution on the type of sentence, the early guilty plea, the defendant’s expression of remorse and a compensation payment of K110,000 with pigs and other animals to family of the deceased.
Wap will now serve six years with hard labour at Buimo prison.
Justice Kaumi advised Wap to change his way of thinking and come out of prison a better man.