Man found guilty of killing 10 Chinese nationals

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Man found guilty of killing 10 Chinese nationals

PORT MORESBY: A man who killed 10 Chinese nationals in a robbery in a shop on Manus Island about four years ago will be sentenced at a later date.

National Court judge Justice Vergil Narakobi in convicting Graham Floyd Peter from Likum village, said on Friday (Feb 4, 2022) Peter had caused the death of the 10 Chinese nationals by setting the building on fire after looting it.

Details of the court proceedings were published by The National:

Man convicted for killing 10 Chinese nationals during robbery

February 8, 2022The NationalMain Stories

A COURT has convicted a Manus man for killing 10 Chinese nationals during a robbery at a shop on Manus Island about four years ago.
National Court Judge Vergil Narakobi in convicting Graham Floyd Peter, of Likum village, said he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Peter had caused the death of the 10 Chinese nationals by setting the building on fire after looting it.
Justice Narakobi, who presided over the case on Friday in Manus, said taking into account all the circumstances of the case, the only reasonable inference from the evidence was the guilt of Peter.
Peter’s co-accused Robillo Micah and Nathan Boas were discharged after the State presented a nolle prosequi notice for both of them. The court heard that in the early hours of Sept 22, 2017, Peter, in the company of some accomplices broke into Splendid Star shop in Lorengau, stole an undisclosed sum of money and set the building alight, killing 10 Chinese nationals.
The 10 Chinese nationals who were killed were women Yan Xiamei, Weng Yun, Li Na, Yan Chenxia, Wu Fenghua, and men Yang Minghui, Shi Yun, Chen Shi Yi, Chen Qinghua and Yan Xin.
The court heard that there was no direct evidence of Peter’s involvement, except that he confessed to the crime to three witnesses, who were his close relatives.
The State charged Peter with murder to which he pleaded not guilty.
Peter through his lawyer from the Public Solicitors Office, did not provide any evidence and exercised his right to remain silent during the trial. The State called five witnesses.
The State submitted that Peter had the motive to kill as he was terminated from employment as a security guard, for allegedly stealing, and had an argument with his boss, called “Boss Tom.”
The State also submitted that the cause of death of all the deceased was proven by the medical reports of Dr Otto Numan and Dr Seth Fose.
They said they all perished in the fire at Splendid Star.
Peter, through his defence lawyer, submitted that the evidence of State witnesses was not relevant to the issue of who committed the crime. Peter’s lawyer also submitted that State had provided circumstantial evidence.
Justice Narakobi in his analysis of the evidence said Peter was living within the vicinity of Splendid Star shop.
“No alibi has been called to explain where he was between 2am and 4am (on Sept 22, 2017) despite suggesting it in his record of interview,” Justice Narakobi said.
“There is no dispute that 10 Chinese nationals had died from the fire of the building.
“It is possible that the fire could have been started from human intervention.
“The accused was a former employee of Splendid Star, having been terminated in 2016.
“He was terminated for stealing and had an argument with his supervisor.
“This is the motive.
“He has confessed the crime to three independent and credible witnesses.”
Peter will return to court at a later date for sentencing.