Assisting someone to kill is like killing someone – Justice Temo

High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo has told 24-year-old student Matthew Gunua that assisting someone to kill a person is just like killing someone if you still do not intend to do so.

Gunua is charged with Binesh Prasad in relation to the death of five people in Navosai, Nasinu in October 2015.

Gunua is charged with five counts murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of aiding and abetting arson and one count of damaging property.

Gunua agreed in court that he came to know about Prasad’s intention before the incident took place.

He told the court that when Prasad directed him to put the knife and two 20 litre gallons filled with fuel on the porch of his house, he hid the knife in the garden but placed the gallons filled with fuel on the porch of the house so that he can get the taxi fare from Prasad to go home.

Justice Temo then asked Gunua what was more important - the taxi fare or placing the fuel on the porch and putting the lives of the people in danger.

Gunua said he really wanted to go home and never thought that Prasad will do any such thing.

Justice Temo told Gunua that because of his misjudgement and wrong calculation, five people died.

Justice Temo then asked Gunua why he did not put the gallons filled with fuel in the garden where he hid the knife or why he did not empty the gallons and left the empty gallons on the porch.

Justice Temo says this is where the aiding and abetting point comes in.

The judge will sum up the case this afternoon.

Meanwhile 34‑year‑old Binesh Prasad who is also charged in relation to the death of five people has pleaded guilty to all charges.