West New Britain man guilty of attempted murder

 By JULIA DAIA BORE

THE National Court in Kimbe has found West New Britain man Michael Nuli guilty of attempted murder, with the ruling on his jail term to be decided at a later date. 

Last Thursday, Kimbe-based judge Justice David Cannings described the attack and maiming of the complainant, Rudolph Laupu who had been hospitalised for some months, as an attack which was “ferocious, savage” and was “premeditated”.

 The court heard that Nuli, who was found guilty last Wednesday, had committed the offence at Gatuwore village on Feb 9, 2009.

When Laupu was confronted at about 7pm, a group of four men attacked him with bushknives over a dispute about a pig. They accused the Laupu of killing their pig.

Cannings said Nuli and his accomplices lay in waiting for Laupu for a couple of hours before staging their surprise attack. 

“The complainant was asked one question. But when his answer was deemed unacceptable, the attack started. 

“It was a group attack, tantamount to an ambush. 

“The evidence establishes that the accused, Nuli, was a key, willing and active member of the group. 

“The fact that four attackers were involved and that there was only one victim, who was, at the time, unarmed and unprepared, supports the contention that there was, in the group, an intention to kill the complainant,” the judge said

 “Even if the court were to find – which it does not – that the accused, as an individual, lacked the intention to kill, he actively aided and assisted those other members of the group who clearly had that intention, and therefore is deemed to have that same intention under section 7(1) (b) and (c) of the Criminal Code,” he added.

 Laupu, the victim, is of West New Britain-Manus origin and lives with his wife at Gatuwore in the Talasea area.

A medical report showed that he sustained multiple wounds to his right and left thighs, left forearm and back.