Men sentenced to life

TWO men convicted earlier this year for beating a young man and leaving him to die on his farm on December 26, 2018, have been sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court in Suva.

The two accused, Apisai Lomani and Leone Naisake, were part of a party at Vacalea Village settlement in Kadavu that began on Christmas Day 2018 and carried on until about midday on Boxing Day.

While handing down her sentence, High Court judge Justice Siainiu Fa’alogo Bull, said the victim, Filipe Loloma, at Wailoaloa farm, was originally from Rewa and was farming in Kadavu.

Alcohol was consumed and the two accused and some others walked across to a hill overlooking the Loloma’s farm.

They divided into two groups so as to surround Loloma’s farm house.

Lomani instructed the group that Loloma was not to be harmed, but things changed when the group descended on the farm house and Loloma fled on foot.

Naisake gave chase and dealt heavy, forceful blows to his head, face and chest, and kicked him.

The rest of the group heard Loloma scream and ran towards him.

When Lomani arrived he also punched Loloma in the head, face and chest, and hit him with the flat of a cane knife’s blade.

Justice Bull said Loloma was left to die on his farm as the group headed back to the village, a blatant disregard to life.

She said the post-mortem examination report put the cause of death as severe blunt force trauma to the head, and that the accused’s reckless actions caused his death.

Justice Bull sentenced Lomani and Naisake to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years to be served before pardon may be considered by the President on the advice of the Mercy Commission.