BY ROMINAH FAKA
A man has pleaded not guilty to murder and rape.
John Koti, 41, was charged over allegations of the rape of a 31-year-old woman who later died due to her injuries sustained from the incident.
The incident reportedly took place at New Vunuha, Ngella, Central Islands province.
Defence opted for a short form preliminary inquiry to which the crown tendered in court yesterday the committal deposition documents.
The matter moved to November 8 for ruling on the committal deposition.
Police alleged on August 25 at New Vunuha village, Ngella, Central province, the deceased was at her home with her family.
On that day, the deceased’s family was having a family gathering.
Around 6pm, the family had their dinner, which was followed by discussion and storytelling session. The meeting ended around midnight.
After the meeting, all the people that gathered for the family meeting left while the deceased and two women remained at the deceased’s house for clean-up.
Between 12am and 1am the deceased and the two women were still cleaning when a person called in at the house. It was alleged that this person had just come back from fishing. He gave some fish to the women.
The deceased told one of the women to cook the fish while she went to a Frank and Mary’s house about 50 metres away from her house.
She was returning a pot they had borrowed for the family gathering earlier that night.
Police alleged that these two women waited for more than an hour for the deceased to return but she did not return.
The deceased suddenly returned after an hour passed and told one of the two women that her body was not okay.
The woman saw that the deceased was bleeding heavily.
The deceased told the woman that on her way to Frank and Mary’s house, the accused grabbed both of her hands and shut her mouth and dragged her into the grass and raped her with great force.
The deceased said she had told the accused that she was bleeding profusely and he got up and took off.
Prosecution said the deceased struggled and managed to get herself up and tried her best to walk back to her house.
As she reached her house the two women tried their best to stop the bleeding but were unsuccessful.
They took the victim to Tulagi that morning, August 26, where she was referred to the NRH in Honiara.
When they reached the NRH the victim was pronounced dead.
John Wesley Zoze appears for crown and PSO appear for Koti.
