BY ROMINAH FAKA

The case against a man accused of killing a female at Marau and demanding a witness to carry the body and sink it in the sea is set to face court for plea on September 16.

On August 22 the hearing was for the accused to take his plea however defence informed court that he is yet to obtain instructions from his client for plea and therefore sought time.

Defence also informed court that he was only allocated the file recently so he needs time to look through the file.

Constance Manepania is charged with one count of murder.

Police alleged October 8, 2023 late in the evening, the deceased and some of her relatives boarded a canoe to an island called Ravi within the Marau area to sleep over for fishing during the night time.

Next day at about 8am, the deceased and two other relatives boarded another canoe to the mainland to collect food and water for the group on the island.

When they reached mainland, they dug some swamp taro, refilled some containers of water.

At about 4pm the deceased and the other girls loaded their canoe and departed for Ravi Island.

About few meters from the mainland the deceased complained that her body was not feeling good, and was afraid to go to Ravi Island, so she decided to stay back on the mainland.

The other girls left the deceased along the shore so that she could walk back home.

The deceased then left Tawanikeni village along the sea shore back to her village Kompa’u.

Prosecution alleged that it was on her way back to her home village that the accused attacked her.

A witness who was on his way along the airport that day heard a sound of a crying person. When the witness got closer to where the crying sound came from, he saw Manepania holding a bush knife in his right hand.

Manepania led the witness to where the deceased was lying unconscious then he stepped onto the deceased’s forehead and squeezed the neck of the deceased until she stopped breathing.

After that Manepania demanded and ordered the witness to take the dead body down to the sea and sink it.

The accused allegedly threatened the witness to carry out this act, saying he would cut the witness with the bush knife if he did not comply.

Police at Marau received a report of the incident on October 10, 2023, when villagers around

Marau area saw the deceased’s body washed ashore in front of the Conflict Lodge.

Steward Tonowane appears for the Crown and Ben Alasia of PSO represent Manepania.