A MAN has been sentenced to 18-months in prison recently for erecting a roadblock within the vicinity of the Henderson Police Station during the November 2021 riot.
Rubenson Kedi was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to one count of Obstructing a Police Officer at a previous court date.
Chief Magistrate, Emma Garo, when sentencing Kedi told him that setting up the roadblock within the vicinity of the Henderson Police Station was a direct attack on the Police.
“Police are law enforcement officers,” Chief Magistrate Garo said.
“When obstructed in the course of executing their duties, the court must come to their aid,” she added.
She told Keki that it is in the public interest not to stand in the way of police officers when discharging their duties to maintain peace and security.
Chief Magistrate Garo said the imposition of an immediate deterrent and punitive sentence was necessary to discourage young people like him and others from engaging in such activities.
She then imposed a two-year jail term starting point and then reduced six months to reflect the mitigating factors.
Kedi erected a roadblock at the Henderson area by carrying a table and placing it on the road between 10am and 11pm on 24 November 2021.
Chief Magistrate Garo said Kedi and others stood next to the roadblocks and when his group saw a police vehicle approach, he ran away towards the GBR road.
“When police chased after your group, you ran away.
“You later admitted that you and others erected the roadblock,” Chief Magistrate Garo told Kedi.
It was heard that the reason for the offending was that Kedi heard there was a riot and he went to see what was happening.
Chief Magistrate Garo further told the court that Kedi went to the Henderson Court and saw people throwing stones and blocking roads.
She said when Kedi saw people carrying tables and blocking the road, he took part by carrying a table to aid the road blockage.
“This type of group offending is very common, especially during riots,” Chief Magistrate Garo said.
Chief Magsistrate Garo told Kedi that what aggravated his case was that he was part of a group that erected the roadblock and at the time of the offending, there was a riot in Honiara.
“Many buildings were torched, destroyed and properties stolen.
“Many businesses houses lost their properties. Many families lost their properties and many were homeless.
“You could have assisted the police by staying away from trouble.
“You did not,” Chief Magistrate Garo told Kedi.
“Setting up the roadblocks given the security situation in Honiara at that time aggravates your offending.
“At times like these, members of the community must assist police by staying at home and staying out of trouble.
“You did not.”
“You committed the offence in the night, with others using the strength of numbers, to erect a roadblock, at a time when the police resource, were stretched to address the lawlessness and rioting,” she added.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
