- Man denies sexual related charges
- Man denies forcing wife on former boyfriend
- Mentally ill person’s case adjourned, July 17
Man denies sexual related charges
A MAN accused of having sexual intercourse with his teenage step-daughter over a two year period since 2017 has been committed to stand trial in the High Court.
This followed a short form preliminary inquiry committed on the matter yesterday before Principal Magistrate Leonard Chite.
The committal hearing was conducted after the 42 year-old man pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual intercourse of a girl under 15, three counts of sexual intercourse of a girl under 18 and one count of indecent act.
The accused will appear for the first mention of his case at the High Court on July 31.
The first alleged incident happened when they were on their way to the garden at Russell Islands, Central Islands Province in 2017.
The alleged victim was only 14 years old at that time.
The other alleged incidents happened in 2017, 2018, and 2019 at their family home at Russell Islands.
Rodney Manebosa of Public Solicitor’s Office represents the accused while Public Prosecutor Letiara Pellie appears for the Crown.
Man denies forcing wife on former boyfriend
A MAN accused of forcing his wife to have sexual intercourse with ex-boyfriend without her consent at Boneghe Beach, Northwest Guadalcanal in March has denied the allegation, Friday.
The man is facing one count of compelled sexual intercourse contrary to section 136 G (a) & b of the Penal Code Cap 26, as amended by the Penal Code (Amendment) (Sexual Offence) Act 2016.
After entering his not guilty plea, Principal Magistrate Leonard Chite adjourned the matter to late afternoon for a possible committal hearing.
The alleged incident happened on 9 March this year at Boneghe Beach at about 11.30pm.
Prosecution alleged that the accused and his wife, the alleged victim and his wife after selling their product at the White River 01 bust stop boarded a bus to return to their home village in Northwest Guadalcanal.
The accused’s wife wanted to visit her daughter at Boneghe so after dropping off her there the accused, alleged victim and his wife went to their village.
They dropped off the alleged victim’s wife at their home village and return to Boneghe.
The accused and the alleged victim were drinking alcohol at that time.
At Boneghe, the accused and the alleged victim bought more beers and continued drinking at the house where the accused’s wife was residing at that time.
After telling stories together, the alleged victim left the accused and his wife and went to sleep at a small house owned by another man located at the same area.
At about 11.30pm, the alleged victim was awakened by the accused and his wife.
The accused who was holding a kitchen knife then forced the accused to engage in indecent acts which they did out of fear.
When his wife refused to do what he forced her to do, the accused allegedly got angry and assaulted her by hitting her face until she was unconscious.
After doing this, the accused left both his wife and the victim and went to sleep.
The alleged victim was the ex-boyfriend of the accused’s wife way before they were married.
The accused’s wife claimed that since they were married the accused would always force her to have sexual intercourse with the alleged victim.
Public Solicitor’s lawyer Steven Weago represents the accused while Public Prosecutor Steward Tonowane appears for the Crown.
Mentally ill person’s case adjourned, July 17
THE case of a suspected mentally ill man accused of repeatedly cutting another man with a bush knife in April at a village in South Guadalcanal has been adjourned to July 17.
This is to allow the prosecution and defence counsel to write a joint letter to a psychiatrist to conduct an assessment on the accused’s mental state of mind and if he is fit to plea to the murder charge.
Eddie Vusu is facing one count of murder.
He allegedly used a bush knife to cut the deceased’s leg, wrist and head on 21 April 2020 at Chakudale village.
Prosecution alleged the deceased was looking after his six month old granddaughter when the alleged incident happened.
It was alleged Vusu cut the deceased on his left leg while he was carrying his granddaughter.
The deceased allegedly fell to the ground with the baby.
Vusu then went and cut the deceased’s left wrist.
A woman came and quickly took the deceased’s granddaughter from the deceased when the baby was crying.
It was further alleged that Vusu repeatedly cut the deceased on the same spot and also cut his head.
The deceased was assisted by some men from the village onto an outboard motor engine to Tangarare Clinic.
Unfortunately the he died on the way to the clinic.
After a medical examination was conducted at the clinic, the deceased’s body was taken back to his home village for burial.
After adjourning the matter Principal Magistrate Leonard Chite also ordered the Public Solicitor’s Office to allocate a lawyer for Vusu.
Prosecution was also ordered to follow up on the pathologist’s assessment on the photograph of the deceased’s body.
Public Prosecutor Jonathan Auga had earlier told the court that no autopsy was done on the accused and so a second opinion will be made by the pathologist by looking at the photographs of the deceased’s body.
