Man faces court after menacing children with knife and golf club in Narrogin

A Perth man has been fined and handed a suspended sentence over an incident in February that saw him intoxicated, armed and menacing children in Narrogin. Pionesi Fonohema, 24, faced Narrogin Magistrates Court on April 18 where he pleaded guilty to behaving in a disorderly manner in a public place or in sight or hearing of any person in a public place and being armed or pretending to be armed in a way that may cause fear. Police prosecutor Sergeant Peter Yuswak said that about 12.15pm on February 25, Fonohema approached a house on Northwood Street and began yelling and shouting at the occupants who were in their front yard. Fonohema swore at the occupants and demanded that one of the group fight him before urinating on a tree and leaving. About 12.30pm on the same day, Fonohema entered another residence on Northwood Street and armed himself with a kitchen knife and a golf club. He emerged and charged towards a group of young children who were on the street and made threatening “throat-slitting” gestures with the knife. In a statement read to the court, Fonohema claimed he was too drunk to recall the incident and accepted the facts and recollection of police and witnesses. He said that he had never consumed alcohol prior to February 24 and that he had retrieved the kitchen knife and golf club for the purpose of self-defence. He said he had felt threatened and that he had no intention to harm or scare anybody, especially children. Magistrate Dianne Scadden said Fonohema needed to behave better and not drink as much or any alcohol. “I’ve heard about what happened and it happened because you drank alcohol, you drank too much alcohol,” Magistrate Scadden said. “That led to you making bad decisions and scaring other people, even if other people are behaving badly you should not have gone and gotten the knife. It was frightening and scary to other people.” Fonohema was fined $700 for disorderly behaviour and $1500 for being armed in a way that may cause fear and granted a spent conviction.