Man allegedly killed brother over dhal bowl
The trial of a 39-year-old man charged with the manslaughter of his brother over a bowl of dhal started at the High Court in Suva yesterday.
The case is being heard before judge Justice Vincent Perera.
Charge:
It is alleged that Aisake Vana Junior on April 5, 2016, at Nasinu, had an argument which broke out between him and his younger brother Suliasi Veisere over a bowl of dhal.
The younger brother allegedly threw a punch at the accused before being stabbed in retaliation.
Prosecution witness one: Salanieta Divolivoli
Ms Salanieta Divolivoli who is married to Isoa Valu, one of Junior’s brother told the court that she was watching television in the living room when the fight had started between the two brothers over a bowl of dhal.
State lawyer Juleen Fatiaki asked Ms Divolivoli to give an account of what she had witnessed on April 5, 2016.
She said: “I was just lying down and I told them to stop because it was just a bowl of dhal they were fighting about. They started swearing at each other and Laka stood up and went to the toilet. When they started punching each other, I went to call Laka for help to stop them.” Laka is a relative who was also in the house at the time. It was further stated by Ms Divolivoli that she heard the deceased tell Junior not get hold of the knife.
She then told the court that when she came back into the living room, she saw the deceased lying on the floor and Junior had gone outside. “I ran to Suli and asked him what had happened, but he didn’t reply and when I held his hands I saw blood. My father-in-law and I took him to the Valelevu Health Centre,” said Ms Divolivoli.
During cross-examination defence lawyer Nemani Tuifagalele asked Ms Divolvoli if she was present in the living room to see how the deceased ended up lying on the floor to which she said: “No, I didn’t see anything.”
Prosecution witness two: Ruci Vece
Ruci Vece, who lives two houses from the accused’s house, told the court that she heard loud noises coming from the house on the day of the alleged incident.
Ms Fatiaki asked Ms Vece to tell the court what she heard, to which she said that she heard people arguing, so she stood at the front door of her house.
Ms Vece said: “I saw Junior coming to my house and he stood in front of my house so I asked him what did he do and he told me that he had stabbed Suli.
“He then went to the steps at the back of the house and sat there. I asked him what knife did he use and he said that he had used the kitchen knife. I asked him what happened between them and he said they had an argument and he had picked up the knife and stabbed Suli.”
During cross-examination Mr Tuifagalele put it to Ms Vece that Junior never said that he had allegedly stabbed Suli, to which she said that he did.
Prosecution witness three: Detective Sergeant Vinod Chand
Mr Chand who was the investigating officer for this case read out the caution interview statement in court as asked by state lawyer, Shirley Tivao.
The caution interview statement stated that Junior was arguing with the deceased over a bowl of dhal. The caution interview statement read: “He was talking nonsense things like I am not buying any food and that am a church boy and I drink beer.
“From the kitchen I ran towards him and the knife was in my hand and when he punched me, I punched him back but I didn’t know that I had stabbed him.
“My father woke up and stopped us from fighting. I saw Suli bleeding and I came out of the house because I was scared. I did not believe that it would be that serious, I regret what I have done and I miss Suliasi.”
The prosecution ended its case and the defence begins today with Junior taking the stand to give evidence.