A YOUNG man found guilty of assaulting a woman outside of the Pacific Crown hotel, Honiara last New Year’s Day will receive his sentence on May 21.
Zane Gegeu Taisia is faces sentencing for the charge of Assault Causing Actual Bodily Harm.
On Wednesday, both the prosecution and the defence counsel confirmed they rely on their filed sentencing submissions.
Principal Magistrate Dalcy Belapitu Oligari adjourned the matter, with the sentence to be handed down on May 21 at 9.30am.
Taisia’s conviction came after a trial which five prosecution witnesses, including the victim, and three defence witnesses and the defendant himself, gave evidence.
The incident occurred between 3am and 4am on 1 January 2024 at the Pacific Crown Hotel, Honiara.
The victim had attended a show at the hotel and later got into a fight with a woman living with the father of her children.
Taisia, who was present, intervened and hit the victim on the forehead with a solbrew bottle, causing her to fall and bleed.
Taisia’s co-accused, Brenden Kakai pleaded guilty to Common Assault and was sentenced to a bound over sentence of six months last year.
In addition to this conviction, Taisia is facing separate charges of Murder and Driving without a driver’s licence.
This matter was already committed to the High Court pending trial.
These charges are related to an incident on the same date at the Supreme Casino driveway in Honiara, in which Tasia allegedly drove a land cruiser into a group of girls, hitting and killing one of them.
The cruiser hit the deceased against a wall brick and then reversed and sped away from the scene.
The deceased was assisted and transported to the hospital but was pronounced dead.
Lazarus Waroka of Public Solicitor’s Office represents Taisia whilst Public Prosecutor John Wesley Zoze is prosecuting.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
