The Waigani National Court will hand down its sentence on Friday against a Lufa man who pleaded guilty on April 12, to assaulting his wife following a domestic dispute.
George Hanio and his lawyer asked the court for a non-custodial sentence, after he admitted to the charge of causing grievous bodily harm.
The maximum penalty sentence for that charge is seven years in jail.
His lawyer said he paid his former wife K4,000 for her injuries and they had since reconciled.
The Eastern Highlands man is a heart patient on prescribed drugs and currently has sole custody of their children after his wife left him.
He admitted to physically assaulting his former wife after a domestic argument at Murray Barracks on June 18, 2015, which left her with a fractured arm and leg.
Hanio apologised to the court for his actions, but said he was provoked by his wife, who back then was having an affair with another man and was sleeping out without informing him.
The assault on June 18, 2015, took place after he went over to the woman’s cousin’s place and told her to return home, pack her things and move out.
She returned home only to find him setting fire to some of her properties. An argument broke out between the two and Hanio used a stick to beat her up, leaving her with a broken arm and leg.
He later took her to the hospital.
Trial Judge, Justice Panuel Mogish, at the submission of sentence, said the case is one where both the man and his wife are victims of domestic violence.