- Nehemiah to enter pleas next
- Murder charge likely to be reduced to manslaughter
- 1 year in jail for attempted arson
Nehemiah to enter pleas next
THE man accused of obtaining a laptop and mobile phones from a shop in Honiara in 2019 under false will be entering his pleas to the allegations against him on June 10.
Martin Pola Nehemiah, 40, is facing three counts of obtaining credits by false pretence in relation to allegations in 2019 in China Town, Honiara.
He appeared in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court yesterday and his matter was further adjourned for plea.
The warrant of arrest laid in his file was cancelled after the court found that a court clerk was the one who gave wrong information in court which led to Pola’s absence in a past court appearance.
On the previous court date, Nehemiah did came to court but was then advised that all matters before Deputy Chief Magistrate Ricky Iomea had been administratively moved to the following week.
Nehemiah was not clear thinking his matter was one of those that was administratively moved then left the court room.
He was therefore not present in court when his matter was mentioned later by Principal Magistrate Fatima Taeburi.
Magistrate Taeburi then had issued a warrant of arrest for him and had it lay in the file.
She then ordered that Nehemiah appeared in court on Monday to explain reasons for his absence and if she is not satisfied with them, she will have him remanded in custody.
That was now sorted out which resulted in the cancellation of the warrant of arrest.
Nehemiah was accused of obtained four mobile phones and a laptop from the Smart Technology shop in China Town.
It was alleged he went to the shop and after allegedly introducing himself to the shop’s Managing Director as the president of the Christian Education Schools of Solomon Islands (ACESSI), he made an agreement with him.
Prosecution alleged that the agreement was for Nehemiah to collect items from the shop and those items will be paid by the ACESSI when the school grants are available.
Nehemiah then allegedly on three occasions between 28 February 2019 and 28 March 2019 went to the shop and allegedly collected a total of four mobile phones and a net book laptop.
The mobile phones each cost $2,250 and the laptop costs $2,850.
Few months later, it was alleged that the complainant tried to make several attempts to contact Nehemiah through mobile phone but Nehemiah would reply with negative feedback.
The Complainant even gave Nehemiah a grace period of 12 months in 2020 for him to make the payments for the items but that was not done.
On 6 March this year, the Complainant then went and reported the matter to the Central Police Station.
Nehemiah was located by the police on that same day and was arrested.
Paul None of Public Solicitor’s Office represents Nehemiah while Police Prosecutor Iete Tebakota is appearing for the Crown.
Murder charge likely to be reduced to manslaughter
THREE teenagers facing the murder of a man they allegedly assaulted at Bahai, Honiara in March are likely to face a reduced charge of manslaughter.
That is if the prosecution filed the reduced charge Monday next week.
Benjamin To’ou 18, and two juveniles aged 15 and 17 are each facing a murder charge.
Public Prosecutor Steward Tonowane had told the court a memorandum had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after the completion of the investigation based on the evidence.
He said the memo was for the reduction of the charge to manslaughter.
Mr. Tonowane said they are still sorting that out and once the DPP endorsed it they will make the application to lay the proper charge.
Public Solicitor’s lawyer Paul None said his colleagues Ben Alasia and Daniel Kwalai who represented the two juveniles instructed that their clients will be ready for plea if the prosecution confirmed the investigation is completed.
He said Allan Tinoni who represents To’ou, however, is asking for more time to obtain instruction for plea.
Mr. None said Tinoni had been busy with other court matters last week and this week and was unable to visit his client at Rove prison.
Mr. Tonowane confirmed that the investigation is completed and that disclosures were already served to the defence.
Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga then expressed his disappointment in the delay of getting instructions for plea on this matter.
He then adjourned the matter to Monday next week for plea and election of the form of committal hearing.
The three men were charged in connection to an allegation in the Bahaii area, Honiara at 12 midnight on March 26, this year.
It was alleged the deceased had some beers with his cousin brother at the Scorpion Bar at Kukum area and then left on foot at about 11pm on March 26.
Police alleged that one of the accused closely monitored the deceased near the Barrak Shop at Bahaii.
The deceased then met up with two other accused who followed the deceased as he walked along the road at Bahai.
The accused then allegedly approached the deceased and asked him for money but the deceased said he had no money.
It was further alleged that the accused persons then attacked the deceased and as a result the deceased fell on to the ground and sustain injuries on the back of his head.
The deceased was later assisted by some people who carried him and left him in front of a red canteen at Bahai.
He was left lying there until between 9am and 11am when someone called an ambulance to assist him.
The deceased was transported to the National Referral Hospital by St John’s Ambulance where he was admitted until his death on 28 March 2021.
1 year in jail for attempted arson
A MAN who tried to burn down his mother’s house in Honiara in January has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment this week in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court.
Wilson Keyaumi, 35, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of attempted arson.
The court heard he doused 1.5 litres of petrol at the front door and living room floor of his mother’s house and then lit a piece of jean cloth with a lighter and threw it into the house.
The fire was immediately put out by a person who was also at the premises at that time.
The court had heard that on the day of the incident, which was on 25 January 2021, the accused went to his mother and Vivian at Rove and asked for money.
Vivian gave him $20 which made him angry.
It was heard that he then sent a text message to Vivian’s mobile phone saying he will purchase petrol with the $20 and would burn their house.
The accused then later called Vivian on the phone and told her to tell his mother that he would burn the house by 6pm.
At about 2pm, it was heard the accused arrived at their residence at Fijian Quarter and told his nephew to go and purchase 1.5 litres of petrol at Quan Chee refuelling station at China town.
His nephew did as he was told and around 6pm, the accused took the petrol and poured it at the front door and inside the living room.
He then took a piece of jean cloth, lit it with his lighter and threw it inside the house.
The fire was put out by another person.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Ricky Iomea when sentencing Keyaumi said the complainant is his mother and because of that relationship, she has trust in him for her personal protection and the protection of her property.
“You had breached that trust on this occasion,” Mr Iomea said.
“You had allowed anger to take control of you,” he added.
Mr. Iomea said the accused had served three years imprisonment, according to the sentence orders tendered by the prosecution, hat was issued on 6 October 2020.
However, he said the sentence issued by the High Court did not mention whether the sentence was backdated to take into account pre-sentence custodial period or not.
He said the sentence order was also silent on whether the three years jail term was partially or wholly suspended.
“However, the fact that you committed the offence on 25 January 2021 implies that you were released from prison sometime immediately after the High Court pronounced the sentence on 6 October 2020.
“You commission of this present offence not long after you were sentenced by the High Court shows that you have not learned from the sentence imposed on you for the attempted murder offence.
“You seemed to be a violent person so any sentences that I will impose will also take into account the need for protection of family members and the public,” he said.
Mr. Iomea also added that the need for deterrence of this type of offending in the society is considered an important consideration in this case.
He said the message to the accused and other likeminded people in the community must be reminded of is that, the public disapproves of this kind of behaviour and the courts certainly, will not accept it and will impose punishment on those responsible.
Mr. Iomea also took into account the accused’s early guilty plea after the Psychiatrist declared him fit to plea and his young age.
A starting point of 18 months was imposed but it was then reduced to 12 months after Mr. Iomea considered the mitigating factors.
“The appropriate final sentence that I will impose on you is 12 months imprisonment.
“I do not think that I should partially or wholly suspend the sentence,” Mr. Iomea told the accused.
The sentence was ordered to be backdated to 9 March this year, the day the accused was formally remanded in custody.
Public Solicitor’s lawyer Donation Houa represented Keyaumi while Public Prosecutor Amanda Elaine Mono appeared for the Crown.
