A man who is currently serving 10 years of a 14-year sentence for theft and burglary has been allowed to appeal his sentence.
Inoke Gadre faced charges for two counts of aggravated burglary and two counts of theft related to his illegal entry into the home of Mereseini Navela on June 12, 2017, as well as the property of Faraaz Khailil, the director of United Pacific (Fiji) Ltd, on July 3, 2015.
Justice Chandana Prematilaka stated in a ruling on August 6 that there was no justification for the significant delay in Gadre’s sentencing. He noted that the trial judge did not account for this delay in the final sentence.
Additionally, regarding the trial judge’s decision to impose consecutive sentences for the aggravated burglary and theft, Justice Prematilaka explained that the Sentencing and Penalties Act permits a longer sentence for habitual offenders.
He emphasized that it is the full Court’s responsibility to determine whether the final sentence is excessively harsh, regardless of any errors made during the sentencing process. Justice Prematilaka also pointed out that the totality principle should be evaluated when determining the final sentence. These aspects will be looked at when the full Court reviews the appropriateness of the sentence for Gadre.