Youth gets life sentence for murder

A 21-YEAR-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday by the National Court in Kainantu Eastern Highlands after finding him guilty of wilful murder.
Suspect Jebi Michael was convicted of shooting one Kamabo Beyorako, 50, at Ukarumpa village in Aiyura valley, Eastern Highlands, on Aug 12 last year.
The court uncovered from medical reports that Michael shot Beyorako at point blank in the head.
The attackers also chopped his body into pieces after he fell down dead.
Beyorako was harmless and defenceless and was in the comfort of his home when he was approached and shot dead.
In the early hours of Aug 12, last year, Michael and his accomplices numbering around five, armed with dangerous weapons including guns, entered Yabibi village and fired shots which sent villagers scurrying for cover.
The deceased was the only one who refused to run away with other villagers and sought refuge under his own house when Michael and his cohorts approached and shot him.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the killing of the deceased easily fits the description as brutal, vicious, horrific, horrendous, heinous, wanton, barbaric and senseless. It was a cold-blooded killing of an innocent, defenceless and harmless old man,” presiding judge Justice Joseph Yagi said.
The court found out that convicted Michael committed wilful murder using a M16 rifle and that was a very serious criminal offence under section 299 of the Criminal Code Act and he was liable to be sentenced to death.
Yagi also condemned killings with the use of firearms and said it was appropriate in all circumstance to exercise his discretion not to impose the ultimate penalty (death sentence) and sentenced the Michael to life imprisonment.
Goroka police, who provided security at the three-week National Court circuit in Kainantu, transported the prisoner to Morobe’s Buimo jail yesterday where he would serve his sentence.