Man pleaded guilty to consuming alcohol in public fined K300

A MAN who pleaded guilty in court for consuming alcohol in a public place in Lae was ordered to pay a court fine of K300 or spend six months in jail.
Lae District Court Magistrate Tera Dawai yesterday ordered Leslie Tumatu, 24, from Bogia, Madang, to pay the fine or be jailed for drinking alcohol at a bus stop.
Tumatu pleaded guilty and apologised to the court.
He asked the court for leniency.
The court heard that Tamatu was a crew of a bus servicing the Lae-Madang route and resided in Madang.
Magistrate Dawai said the Highlands and Madang bus stop at Eriku in Lae was a public area and the consumption of alcohol at such areas was prohibited.
Police reports stated that on Friday, Feb 5, at around 3pm, a police patrol unit in Eriku spotted Tumatu drinking a bottle of rum at Eriku Highlands bus stop.
Tumatu was arrested and brought to the police station where he was formally charged.