Wife trying to stop assault case

MILITARY officer Lt Murray Oa charged with assaulting his wife Debbie Kaore, had his case adjourned to Oct 8 for the prosecutor to seek instructions from the arresting officer in relation to an affidavit filed by the victim to withdraw the matter.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Tracy Ganaii yesterday adjourned the matter for police prosecutor Chief Sgt Polon Koniu to inform the arresting officer to produce a letter of objection to the withdrawal.
Sgt Koniu objected to Kaore’s application for withdrawal as the police hand-up brief had been completed.
But Oa’s lawyer asked for the court to deal with the application for withdrawal before proceeding to submissions on sufficiency of evidence because the application would affect a trial if the case was committed.
Oa, 33, of Waima village in Kairuku-Hiri, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Kaore at Goldie Barracks on June 4.
He returned home allegedly drunk that night and asked Kaore if he could use her phone to send an email.
Oa then saw a TikTok video of his wife on her phone and asked her what it was about. He then assaulted her.
Kaore sustained injuries to her left thigh, left cheek and the left side of her forehead.
She went to the military police office at the Goldie Barracks boom gate for help where she was brought to the military aid post for treatment and was referred to the Port Moresby General Hospital.
Kaore went to Paradise Private Hospital for treatment and later laid a complaint at the Police Family and Sexual Violence Unit (FSVU). Oa was brought into FSVU-Boroko on June 7 and interviewed.
Oa told police officers that he had no intention of assaulting his wife but was provoked. He said Koare’s video with another man and her reluctance in showing her Facebook messages provoked him to attack her which he regretted doing.