A Labasa fisherman has been sentenced to almost 12 years’ imprisonment for the manslaughter of his wife after a violent attack that left her with catastrophic brain injuries and eventually triggered fatal infections. Justice Lee Burney handed down an 11 years and 11 months term to 48-year-old Sairusi Maqosa in the High Court in Labasa on Tuesday, the latest development after Maqosa was earlier convicted of manslaughter over his wife’s death.
The court heard that the assault occurred at about 9am on April 24, 2023, when Maqosa went to his brother’s house in Labasa and repeatedly kicked his wife in the head while she sat on the verandah. No motive for the attack was disclosed during proceedings. Maqosa did not immediately seek medical help for his wife; she was eventually taken to the Emergency Department at Labasa Hospital at 11.50pm that same night.
Doctors found the woman with a severe brain injury and non-functioning airways. She was intubated, underwent emergency surgery to remove a large haematoma and remained in a vegetative state. She died nearly a month later, on May 23, 2023, when lung and blood infections — complications stemming from the original injuries — proved fatal.
During sentencing, defence counsel stressed that no weapon had been used in the assault and argued Maqosa was potentially capable of rehabilitation. Justice Burney, however, said Maqosa had made a deliberate decision to inflict serious violence and that his continued denial of responsibility limited mitigation. The judge also pointed to Maqosa’s lack of insight into his actions as an aggravating factor.
Maqosa’s criminal record was highlighted in court. He has two prior convictions, including a suspended prison sentence in 2015 for assault occasioning actual bodily harm against the same woman. Justice Burney referred to that history when assessing the risk and culpability, observing that the sentence needed to reflect both the gravity of the violence and the protection of the community.
The court noted the wider human cost of the attack: Maqosa is the father of two children who are in secondary school and was the sole supporter of his elderly mother, who lived with the family. “You not only deprived your wife of her future, you also deprived your children of her motherly love and care,” Justice Burney told the defendant as he delivered the sentence. The judgement marks a significant step in the judicial response to domestic violence in Labasa, concluding the court phase following the earlier conviction.
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