BY ROMINAH FAKA
The Magistrates’ Court has sentenced two women, charged with one count of common assault, to pay fines for attacking the complainant at GPPOL 2, Tetere Estate. The fines were to be paid in cash before the close of business yesterday.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Ricky Iomea delivered the sentence, ordering the principal offender, Anna Vathagi, to pay a fine of $1,500, with a default penalty of two months’ imprisonment.
For Lisa Kope, the court sentenced her to pay a fine of $1,000, also with a default penalty of two months’ imprisonment.
The court further ordered that both fines be paid at the court registry by 4 p.m. yesterday. Failure to pay would result in default imprisonment of two months in custody.
Lisa Kope, 40, and Anna Vathagi, 29, were jointly charged with one count of common assault and both pleaded guilty to the charge.
The incident occurred on July 2, 2024, between 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at GPPOL 2, Tetere Estate Office.
The assault stemmed from an argument involving the victim and Vathagi’s husband, whom the victim accused of having a sexual affair with another woman.
On the day of the incident, the victim was preparing chemicals for spraying at the GPPOL 2 Tetere Estate Office when the two defendants approached her.
Lisa Kope grabbed the victim’s hand and held it tightly, while Anna Vathagi also grabbed the victim’s hand and struck her forehead once with a stone.
The victim sustained a mild injury, which was not serious. The two defendants were arrested on August 4, 2024, and were released on bail the same day.
A reconciliation meeting later took place at Tetere Police Station, where the defendants paid $500 as compensation to the victim.
In delivering the sentence, Magistrate Iomea highlighted the aggravating factors, noting that the defendants failed to control their anger, planned the attack, and used a stone as a weapon, causing the victim to sustain an injury.
“There are peaceful ways of dealing with such issues. What happened on this occasion demonstrates that the two defendants decided to take the law into their own hands and impose punishment on the victim,” Iomea stated.
He added, “Assaulting another person without a lawful excuse is a criminal offense, and one must face the consequences if caught.”
The court also noted mitigating factors, such as the defendants pleading guilty to the offense, demonstrating remorse and a willingness to accept responsibility. Additionally, both defendants are first-time offenders.
Herrick Lautalo prosecuted the case. Ron Dicky Pulekera represented Lisa Kope, while Bobby Harunari acted for Anna Vathagi.
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