Man sentenced to life imprisonment

A 22-YEAR-OLD Labasa man who murdered his wife last year has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Tevita Vuniwai appeared before High Court judge, Justice Thushara Rajasinghe who also ordered that he serve a minimum of 18 years before being considered for parole.

The High Court in Labasa heard that on March 7, 2018, the deceased was stabbed by her husband who used a pocket knife at a warehouse at Naseakula.

Justice Rajasinghe told Vuniwai that he had breached the trust his wife had in him.

“Just because she was your wife, she was not required to surrender her personal autonomy to you,” he said.

“If she found your abusive behaviour unbearable, she had a right to move away from you and make her own life as she wanted.”

The court also heard the deceased had obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Vuniwai and informed him (Vuniwai) about it on March 6, 2018.

“On March 7, 2018, you came in a taxi and picked the deceased from a bus stop.

“You then took her to a location close to Coca-Cola warehouse in Naseakula.

“You had a conversation with the deceased and when she wanted to leave to attend classes, you took a pocket knife and struck the deceased on her abdomen causing a gaping laceration on her abdomen measuring 22mm x 10mm x 120mm.

“You further struck her on the right side of her neck with the said pocket knife causing a deep incision wound measuring 70mm x 30mm over the right aspect of her neck.”

Justice Rajasinghe told Vuniwai that his attack was pre-planned and handed him a life sentence.