Trio gets 10-year jail term for murder

 By ADRIAN MATHIAS

THREE people including a juvenile have been jailed for 10 years each for killing a man two years ago.

National Court judge Justice Panuel Mogish said while sentencing Valentine Tim, 24, Ravine Toua, 19, and Bobby Frank, 18, that offenders regardless of their ages should receive the same punishment as in this case.

Mogish said Tim was 21 while Frank and Toua were 15 and 16 respectively when they killed one Peter Kopi at Elevala village in Port Moresby on Nov 19, 2010. The three were from Hanuabada village in the National Capital District.

He said sentencing juvenile offenders on the basis on their age would send a wrong signal to potential offenders that they would be treated differently from adult offenders.

Mogish said it was a mob attack by two juvenile offenders (at the time) and a young adult offender. 

“Courts have repeatedly stated in many judgments involving juvenile offenders that imprisoning those offender should be the last resort,” he said. 

He said courts should investigate alternatives to imprisonment depending on the circumstances of each case including the seriousness of the offence.

But Mogish said today many serious and violent crimes were committed by juveniles and young adults between 12 and 25. 

Mogish said young offenders who deliberately followed adult offenders and committed crimes of violence must receive the same sentence as adult offenders.

“If they (juveniles) instigate the commission of a crime or encourage others to commit a crime, then they must expect a very stern sentence from the court,” he said.

Mogish said alcohol was involved in the murder of the deceased. 

“This case once again demonstrates what inevitable happens when alcohol is involved and more aggravating was the fact that the deceased was attacked by a mob of youths,” the judge said.