Men fined for fighting in court

By JAMES GUMUNO
TWO men fighting in front of the Mt Hagen district and national courts and interrupting proceedings were fined K500 each in default three months jail at Baisu.
Magistrate Lydia Karre found both guilty on Wednesday.
Police arrested the two on Monday and charged them with fighting in public under the Summary Offence Act.
Police alleged that Somare Kopil, 38, from Keripi village in Tambul district, Western Highlands approached his former wife Lovelin Joseph outside the national and district courts when a session was on.
Police claimed that Kopil punched Joseph several times, pushed her down to the ground and kicked her.
Her brother Dominic Malt, 26, from Dei district, attacked Kopil when he was standing in the middle of the court room.
Police said they exchanged several punches before the sheriffs arrested them and handed them to police.
Police said the national and district court sessions were interrupted and stopped for some minutes.
Prosecutor Sam Nili made an application to the court to impose custodial sentence.
He said a court fine would not help prevent such incidents.
Nili told the court that they had no respect for the courts, court users, judges and magistrates presiding over cases.
He said a custodial sentence would serve as a warning to others not to come and fight inside the court premises.