Closing submissions for Botanical Garden death Monday
CLOSING submissions will be made on the matter of the man charged for the death of another man at the Botanical Garden in 2020, Monday.
Ruben Jayrick Hitu faces one count of manslaughter.
Justice Maelyn Bird will hear the closing submissions at 1.30pm.
Hitu’s co-accused, Tatasi Fati Forau, was acquitted of the charge last year after the court found he has no case to answer to the charge.
The lawyers for Hitu and Forau had made submissions for a No-Case to Answer.
Whilst the court found that Forau had no case to answer, it found Hitu to have a case to answer to the charge of manslaughter and this required him to make a defence.
The prosecution alleged Hitu attacked the deceased while the deceased and his female friend, J. M, were having their meal at the Botanical Garden hilltop.
J.M escaped downhill, whilst the accused allegedly attacked the deceased.
The body of the deceased was found shortly afterwards at the bottom of the steep hill beside the fence to the Redeemed Church of God building.
Men deny setting fire to houses
TWO men have denied trying to murder another man and setting fire to his two houses at Kakalu Village in West Guadalcanal last year.
Saverio Mate, 24 and Lency Raga, 39, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of arson and one count of attempted murder last Friday.
Following their not guilty pleas, their matter was then adjourned to March 21 for a committal hearing.
The two men were alleged to be part of a group of men that went and asked compensation from the complainant at Kalaku Village.
They claimed the complainant stole their live pig and demanded that he give them some money else, they will return and burn down his houses.
Later, the duo with other two co-accused, John Longatabu and Lui, allegedly went and set fire to the complainant’s two houses.
Longatabu is currently under a warrant of arrest, whilst Lui is still at large.
The alleged incident occurred on 22 October 2022.
The Public Solicitors Office represents the two men, while the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) appears for the Crown.
