DPP appeals Naivalurua manslaughter sentence

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has filed an appeal against the sentence of a 23-year-old man who is serving time for causing death of his 40-year-old colleague.

Sailosi Naivalurua was jailed for three years with a non-parole period of two years.

The High Court Judge had partially suspended Naivalurua’s sentence and was ordered to serve two years of his sentence and the remaining one year is suspended for a period of three years.

In considering the time spent in remand, the remaining period left to serve is one year, nine months and four days. Naivalurua was initially charged and tried for one count of murder, however, upon conclusion of the trial, the court found him guilty for the lesser offence of manslaughter. Naivalurua had struck a 40-yearold deceased, Tevita Qalobula, with a cane knife several times before fleeing the scene.

The deceased had sustained injuries after he was attacked by the offender following a heated argument on April 21, 2020.

The deceased succumbed to his injuries on April 23, 2020, at the Oceania Hospital in Suva.

Naivalurua had struck the deceased three times with the cane knife following the argument about a mobile phone. Naivalurua questioned the deceased about his mobile phone and suspected the deceased of stealing it. The deceased and Naivalurua had a heated argument in which Naivalurua also sustained injuries. Naivalurua’s case was called before Fiji Court of Appeal Judge Justice Chandana Prematilaka.

The court heard that both parties had filed their submissions.

The matter has been fixed for hearing on December 19.