Three youths charged with slashing man to death

By SCHOLAR KASSAS
A COMMITTAL court in Waigani has charged three youths with murder for slashing a man to death with a bush knife in Port Moresby last month.
Magistrate Danny Wakikura read out the charge to Jimson Takore, 18, Alex Pauli, 23, and Api Michael – all from Enga – and adjourned the matter to June 1 for mention.
Wakikura told Takore, Pauli and Michael that a month-long adjournment was to give enough time for police to gather evidence.
He added that evidences were only tested in the National Court after the committal process and remanded them into custody.
Police alleged that on April 4 at about 4pm, the three accused were drinking Blue Berry beer.
They drank until 10pm and when the beer finished they went and bought betel nuts and cigarettes.
At about 2am on April 5, the three accused were armed with the bush knife and allegedly chased Wayne Hunter (deceased).
He ran to a nearby house and tried to pull open the door to save himself.
The owner of the house heard the noise and called out asking who that was.
The three accused said it was a criminal and told the owner not to come out.
They allegedly pulled him from the verandah about 5 to 6 metres away and slashed him to death.
The owner of the house with his two sons and their neighbour, who were also from Enga, used a torch and saw Hunter’s body in their yard.
They called police and Gerehu police arrived at about 3am.
Ambulance arrived and confirmed Hunter’s death.
A week later, community leaders with the help of the community surrendered the three accused to police.