The High Court has sentenced a 49-year-old security guard to life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 16 years and 11 months, after convicting him of one count of murder and one count of acting with intent to cause grievous harm.
Joni Raciri appeared before Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu in court yesterday. He had previously pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023, to both charges without reservation.
During the sentencing, Justice Bulamainaivalu stated that he set a starting point of four years for the sentence and increased it by an additional four years due to aggravating factors, which included the severity of the injuries inflicted, the emotional and psychological trauma suffered by the victim, and the fact that the victim was in a vulnerable state due to intoxication. The judge noted that the accused had also prevented the victim from escaping by climbing over a gate while intoxicated and instilling fear.
In light of these considerations, Justice Bulamainaivalu ruled that the sentences for both counts would run concurrently, resulting in a life sentence for Raciri. He has 30 days to file an appeal to the Fiji Court of Appeal.