Rigo man on trial for wife’s murder, denies charges

A MAN from Rigo, Central, has appeared before the National Court charged with the willful murder of his wife.
Appearing before Justice Panuel Mogish yesterday, Sabu Wari denied the charges.
The state had alleged that on Aug 2, 2008, Wari and his wife, Dobi Mamata, had fought at their Ponigolo settlement home in Saroakeina.
Armed with a bush knife, Wari chased and slashed Mamata on her left thigh down to her ankle. When she fell, the accused continued to attack her.
Mamata was rushed to the local health centre but died on arrival.
The accused was disarmed and taken to Kwikila police station where he was arrested and charged with wilful murder.
According to one of the two state witnesses who arrived at the scene of the crime, saw Wari with a bush knife and the deceased lying on the ground bleeding.
The witness, along with some youths, carried Mamata to the health centre where she died.
Port Moresby General Hospital pathologist Dr Philip Golpak, the state’s second witness who conducted the post-mortem and autopsy report, said each of the wounds were severe and enough to cause death.
Golpak told the court that the cut to the forearm were wounds she got as a result of trying to protect herself (defensive wounds).
Although the defence made a no-case submission, the judge said there was a prima facie case against the accused which he had to answer, hence, ruling against the no-case submission.
In the witness box, Wari told the court that he was sitting on the verandah of a neighbour’s house when he was hit around the neck with a stick.
Knocked down by the blow, he then heard someone shouting: “Wari, your wife is bringing a bush knife.”
He reacted and grabbed at a piece of wood nearby and disarmed his wife. He then grabbed the bush knife and swung it at her, slashing her on the leg.
Wari said he knew nothing about the other cuts on the victim’s thigh and forearm.
When asked if the fight was over an affair he was having with another woman, the accused replied: “After the mediation over
the affair, I did not run away but was at Kwiklia.”