Mick chooses to go to trial

THE 24-year-old woman charged with abducting and assaulting a woman she suspected of having an affair with her husband has opted not to make a defence submission in court.
Quinnie Mick, from Ambum’s Kupin Kem village, Enga, told a committal court in Waigani yesterday that she would defend herself in a trial in the National Court.
Her lawyer Edward Sasingian also told the court that based on instructions from Mick, he had not filed a submission on sufficiency of police evidence.
Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Joseph Sangam asked the court to rely on the police hand-up brief and make a ruling since the defence would not be filing any submissions.
Magistrate Paul Puri Nii said the court would have to assess evidence in the police brief before making a ruling.
“I will adjourn the matter, look at evidence and come up with my ruling under Section 95 of the District Court Act,” he said.
“There are four charges against Mick and I will assess evidence in the police hand-up brief.
“I’m not going to just commit Mick, this is a court, not a quasi-judiciary.
“I will assess all the charges with respect to the police file, and decide based on evidence.”
Magistrate Nii then fixed June 20 for a ruling and extended Mick’s bail. Mick is married to National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop’s son Sengol, who contested the Moresby North-West by-election last year. She was charged with one count each of deprivation of liberty, robbery, threatening to kill and assaulting Stacey Lydia Sirimai on Nov 30.