Man jailed 8 years for armed robbery

A 25-YEAR-OLD man was jailed eight years by the National Court for robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle in Port Moresby in 2020.
Acting Judge Tracy Ganaii in Waigani, however, deducted three years of the sentence on George Naningo for “behaving well and cooperating with the police”.
Naningo, from Rigo’s Apaiva village in Central, had pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
The State, in its submission, stated that Naningo and his accomplices were in possession of dangerous weapons, the victim was threatened, properties were taken and the vehicle was badly damaged.
The State also submitted that the maximum penalty for unlawful use of motor vehicle was four years and with the additional eight years as the penalty for armed robbery, the court should jail Naningo 12 years.
However, acting Judge Ganaii said for armed robbery, the sentencing could be life imprisonment but Naningo’s case was not a worst kind of case.
“I have considered in your favour that you have pleaded guilty and you have said that you are a changed person. So, you should serve for 5 years only. For the two years, one month that you have spent in prison are also removed from your sentence.”
On May 15, 2020, at about 7am, Raphael Pio was driving his Nissan Navara to Gerehu when he was held up at gunpoint by Naningo and his accomplices.
Naningo and his accomplices used two staple guns and ordered Pio to lie down on the ground and ordered him to surrender his car key.
The robbers were about to get into the car when a police task force unit sighted the stolen vehicle and followed them.
The police fired warning shots at Naningo and his accomplices but they kept driving until they crashed into a drain.
Naningo was caught by the police while his accomplices escaped.