Woman’s jail time suspended

The National National

THE Waigani National Court has jailed a woman four years for causing grievous bodily harm on her husband whom she suspected of having an affair with other women.
However, acting Judge Tracy Ganai last Friday suspended Lucy Pupun’s term with strict conditions, signalling a message to prisoners on suspended sentences that failure to comply would result in jail time.
On Nov 15, 2020, between 9am and 10am at their home at Morata in Port Moresby, Lucy, 35, of Kaiap village in Wabag, Enga, suspected that her husband Hebert Piwili was having an affair with other women and stabbed him at the back of his shoulder with a kitchen knife.
Piwili sustained injuries, was taken to Gerehu General Hospital and was later referred to Port Moresby General Hospital where he was admitted for 11 days.
Lucy’s lawyer Bernard Popeau, from the Office of the Public Solicitor, said Lucy had pleaded guilty and should be jailed three years or less.
State lawyer Solomon Kuku argued that grievous bodily harm cases should not be taken lightly and submitted four to seven years’ jail time.
Tracy sentenced Lucy to four years jail with hard labour, the term came with strict conditions which included:

  • PAY K5,000 to the victim within three months;
  • OFFENDER should not consume alcohol;
  • THE offender shall perform 600 hours of community work; and,
  • KEEP the peace with the victim and be of good behaviour at all times.

“Failure to comply by these conditions, you will serve four years in jail.”