The High Court has sentenced a 49-year-old security guard to life imprisonment, requiring a minimum term of 16 years and 11 months for one count of murder and one count of causing grievous harm. Joni Raciri appeared before Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu for the ruling.
Raciri entered a guilty plea on October 12, 2023, admitting to both charges. Justice Bulamainaivalu indicated that he started with a four-year sentence and increased it by four years due to aggravating factors, which included the serious injuries sustained by the victim, the emotional and psychological trauma inflicted by Raciri using a garden hoe, and the victim’s vulnerability due to intoxication. The judge noted that Raciri had prevented the victim from escaping by climbing over a gate while intoxicated and instilling fear.
Taking into account the overall circumstances of the case, the judge ordered that the sentences for both counts run concurrently, resulting in the life sentence with a minimum non-parole period. Raciri has 30 days to file an appeal to the Fiji Court of Appeal.