Tausoro stabbing trial starts Tuesday
TRIAL on the matter of a man accused of stabbing an elderly man to death at Tausoro, Central Guadalcanal, last August will start today.
The hearing of evidences will start before Judge John Keniapisia at 9.30am.
The defendant Stanley Gegesi is facing trial for one count of Murder and one count of Unlawful Wounding.
He was accused of attacking an elderly couple which left the husband Baltasare Basi aged in his 80’s dead from multiple stab wounds. He also attacked another person at Tausoro. This second victim Michael Lea was also stabbed and rushed to the National Referral Hospital in critical condition.
The alleged incident occurred on the night of 11 August 2023 at Tausoro in the Turarana area.
The prosecution alleged that between 10pm and 12 midnight on the date of the offence, Gegesi and another male person entered the couple’s house.
The couple were in bed when the Gegesi and another male went into the house and demanded the couple for a large sum of money.
The deceased’s wife got her purse and gave $100 to him but he insisted on $4,000.
Gegesi allegedly harassed the couple. He punched the mouth of the deceased’s wife and grabbed her purse.
The wife then escaped for her life.
Gegesi then allegedly grabbed a bush knife from wall of the house and cut the deceased.
It was alleged that he cut the deceased multiple times in the head, shoulders and backside.
When the villagers noticed what was happening, they allegedly chased Gegesi and he ran away from them to the house of his second victim.
The second victim, Lea, was still sleeping when Gegesi allegedly cut him with the knife.
At that time, several men started throwing stones at Gegesi.
He, however, escaped along the Turarana River down to Turarana village where he joined a dance that was going on in the village.
The villagers who chased Gegesi then called communities along the road by mobile phones to alert them about the incident.
A group of men residing at Purakachere Village caught Gegesi and held on to him until police arrived in their village.
Benham Ifuto’o of Public Solicitor’s Office represents Gegesi, whilst Public Prosecutor Hellen Naqu is prosecuting.
Man fined $1,500 for breaking traffic rules
A MAN has been fined a total of $1, 500 for breaking traffic rules last September in Honiara.
Junior Jikiu Nanau was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to one count of Using Unlicensed Motor Vehicle, one count of using Uninsured Motor Vehicle and one count of Driving Without A Valid Driver’s Licence.
These charges relate to an incident on 20 September 2023 at about 10.50 on the Kukum Highway at Panatina SINU campus bus stop.
Traffic Police officers were conducting a traffic check along that part of the road and were diverting vehicles to the roadside to check on them for the validity of drivers’ licence and vehicle roadworthiness.
The defendant’s vehicle was on of the vehicles diverted for inspection that day.
Police checked the vehicle the defendant drove and they found the vehicle’s licence was not displayed.
They escorted the defendant to the traffic station where they later found that his vehicle was expired since 2021 and the third-party insurance was expired since 2022.
They also found the defendant’s driver’s licence was expired since 2023.
The defendant was then charged and appeared in the Honiara Magistrate Court.
Magistrate Michael Fagani imposed a $700 fine for count one, $100 for the second count and $700 for the third count.
The defendant was ordered to pay up the total sum of $1,500 before Close of Business (COA) on July 19.
His failure to pay up the fine will result in an imprisonment of two months.
