* Bellona murder accused in court
* Lawyer wants time with client
* Court to inquire into sexual offence case
* Closing submissions in abduction case today
Bellona murder accused in court
A YOUNG man accused of the murder of a little girl and injuring four people at Bellona, Renbell Province, last month has appeared in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court for the first time yesterday.
Kravis Tamaika, who is suspected to be mentally sick, is facing a murder charge in relation to the allegation on 17 August 2018 at Nukuma’anu area in central Bellona.
The 18 year-old is yet to be legally represented.
Public Solicitor’s lawyer Lazarus Waroka, who appeared yesterday as a duty lawyer, note down the accused’s name and follow up with their practise managers so that a lawyer can be allocated for the accused.
Public prosecutor Dalcy Belapitu also informed the court that there are some outstanding documents yet to be obtained in this matter and therefore sought an adjournment.
Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga adjourned the matter to September 19 and ordered the prosecution to advise the court on that day on the status of investigation on this matter.
Tamaika was further remanded in custody.
Prosecution alleged that on 17 August this year at about 1pm, the accused went to Nukuma’anu area and see his uncle at his house.
His uncle invited him to sit with him, but the accused continue to stand around the area and then suddenly grabbed a long bush knife and ran down the main road.
He allegedly struck the bush knife at the first victim he met while running down to the main road.
The victim was holding on to his bicycle when the accused allegedly struck the knife at him.
When the victim was on the ground, he went and struck the knife at his face.
Prosecution further alleged that after cutting the first victim, the accused went into a church and strike the church bell before cutting his own leg.
His uncle tried to intervene to get hold of the knife, but the accused escaped and continue to run towards the other side of the road.
It was alleged Tamaika ran to an area on the other side of the road where his uncle Atson and aunt used for gardening and cut his uncle, who was sitting in a wheel chair, three times on his head.
He also allegedly pushed his finger into the alleged victim’s eyes.
From there, the accused then cut at his aunt several times with the bush knife which landed on her left hand.
At that time, Atson’s seven year-old daughter, who had just arrived from school came and saw what happened.
She tried to escape by running back down to the main road but the accused allegedly ran after her, cut her neck, ear and upper part of her head with the bush knife.
The little girl died instantly as a result of those cuts.
According to the allegation, the accused then ran down to the main road and went after a teenage girl who was riding her bike.
The teenage girl managed to escape from the accused but another man who was at the road at that time received a cut from the accused on his head and back from the accused.
The accused then allegedly escaped but was later arrested and charged.
The victims were transported to the Nuku Clinic and were later transferred to the National Referral Hospital (NRH) with the assistance of an Australian Navy helicopter.
Lawyer wants time with client
MORE time has been given to the lawyer of a man accused of robbing the ANZ Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) at the Kwaimani Building in east Honiara in 2014 to get instructions from him.
Public Solicitor’s lawyer Lazarus Waroka sought the adjournment to get further instructions from his client, Dilo Faiga.
He also said he had sought disclosures from the prosecution.
Public Prosecutor Dalcy Belapitu did not object the application for the adjournment.
Faiga, who faces armed robbery and malicious damage charges, is due back in court on September 12.
He is jointly charged with Severio Sulimae and Joe Silas.
Sulimae was already sentenced to four years, six months in prison early last year after pleading guilty to armed robbery and malicious damage.
Silas who became a prosecution died in 2016.
The incident occurred on the night of July 25th 2014 where Faiga was accused of being part of a group of men who robbed the ANZ ATM.
Prosecution alleged the accused and other men arrived in a car driven by Sulimae that had a fake plate number and used a crow bar to uproot the ANZ machine.
After allegedly uprooting the ATM Machine, they lifted it onto the waiting car and took off with one of the security officers and went to Henderson, where they broke open the machine that contained more than $400,000.
Police further alleged that only more than $200,000 from the top tray was stolen as they could not open the bottom tray.
Faiga is currently remanded in custody after police recaptured him on 20 May this year in north Malaita.
He was on the run since 2017.
A magistrate has issued a warrant of arrest for him on 23 January 2017, after he failed to appear in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court for the mention of his case.
Court to inquire into sexual offence case
AN elderly man facing sexual offences involving a three-year-old girl early this year will today know if he will be standing trial in the High Court.
A short form preliminary inquiry (committal hearing) will be conducted on the matter of the 69-year-old in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court.
The accused is facing one count of rape and four indecent assault charges in relation to offences he allegedly committed early this year.
The committal hearing was supposed to be done yesterday but because the committal papers were not yet ready, Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga further adjourned the hearing to today.
The short adjournment is to allow prosecution to prepare documents for the committal hearing.
The short form preliminary inquiry will involve the tendering of documents relevant to this case.
Mr Aulanga will commit the matter to the High Court for trial if he finds sufficient evidences on those tendered documents against the accused.
But if he however, found insufficient evidence, the accused is likely to be discharged.
Public Prosecutor Dalcy Belapitu appeared on behalf of her colleague Rajah Patrick Abe yesterday for the Crown.
Closing submissions in abduction case today
CLOSING submissions into the case of a taxi driver accused of abducting a young woman in his cab to Mount Austin, and then allegedly assaulted her, will be made in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court today.
This followed a trial conducted last week on the matter of Alfred Ala, who faces one count of abduction in order to subject person to grievous harm.
Prosecution had called four witnesses and tendered four witness statements by consent while the accused gave unsworn evidence in the defence case.
The prosecution and the defence will be submitting their closing submissions before Principal Magistrate Jim Seuika.
Ala was accused of abducting the alleged victim on 9 February this year in Honiara.
Prosecution alleged the accused forced the alleged victim into his cab at the Kukum area and drove at a high speed uphill at the road next to the Florence Young School.
He then allegedly drove all the way up to Mount Austin with the alleged victim.
Prosecution also alleged that whilst in the car, the accused allegedly slapped the girl.
He also allegedly accused the girl of not seeing him when he usually came to her place.
Prosecution alleged he took her to Mount Austin and then further assaulted her there.
The girl, who had just came to Honiara for the first time from Western Province, was residing with relatives in Honiara.
Public Solicitor’s lawyer Lazarus Waroka is representing the accused while Police Prosecutor Lyndon Adifaka is appearing for the Crown.
