A respected school headmaster and longtime teacher from Enga Province has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the wilful murder of a man whose left arm he chopped off during a violent confrontation last year.
This is despite the paying of 152 pigs and K125,000 in compensation to the victim’s family.
Justice Ellis of the National Court in Wabag handed down the sentence to Philip Minimao, 52, of Apaimas Village, Wapenamanda District, after he pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 299(1) of the Criminal Code Act.
The court heard that Minimao, accompanied by others armed with an axe and bush knives, attacked the victim following an argument between the deceased and a man Minimao regarded as his “son.” During the attack, Minimao severed the victim’s left arm and inflicted a wound to his leg. The victim bled to death while being rushed to hospital.
Justice Ellis said the attack was “grossly disproportionate” to the earlier dispute, describing it as a deliberate and vicious assault that showed “complete disregard for the sanctity of human life.”
While acknowledging that Minimao had expressed remorse, was a first-time offender, and had made substantial compensation, the court emphasized that “no amount of money or pigs can restore a lost life.”
“The sanctity and value of human life is more precious than wealth. Compensation cannot bring the victim back,” Justice Ellis said.
The court found that the offence fell within Category Two of the sentencing guidelines established in Kovi v The State, which prescribes penalties of 20 to 30 years for planned and weapon-assisted murders. Given the seriousness of the crime and Minimao’s role in leading the attack, the court set a starting sentence of 30 years, reduced by nine years for mitigating factors.
Minimao, a veteran educator with over 24 years of service, told the court he was “deeply sorry” for the killing, insisting the incident was not premeditated and occurred after the victim allegedly attacked him while drunk. He surrendered to police and later helped pay two rounds of compensation to the victim’s relatives.
Despite these efforts, the judge stressed that the prevalence of bush knife killings in Papua New Guinea demanded a strong deterrent sentence.
After deducting one year already served in remand, Minimao will spend 20 more years behind bars.
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