A 24-year-old man, Malakai Nabalarua, has been sentenced to nine months in jail after he attacked his father with a cane knife. The remaining 20 months of his sentence will be suspended for five years. Nabalarua faced three charges of property damage and one charge of intent to cause grievous harm.
The sentence was handed down by Justice Sekonaia Vodokisolomone in the High Court located in Lautoka. The incident occurred after Nabalarua returned home intoxicated and engaged in a dispute with his wife. When his father, aged 45, intervened and tried to remove him from the house, Nabalarua retaliated by using a cane knife, damaging the louvre blades to gain entry. He then struck his father twice on the right shoulder with the knife, causing the elder man to faint from blood loss and necessitating hospitalization.
After the attack, Nabalarua also vandalized his father’s car windscreen and damaged his mobile phone. In court, Nabalarua expressed remorse and sought forgiveness from his father.
Justice Vodokisolomone noted that Nabalarua’s culpability was significant, as his verbal confrontations paved the way for the later violent acts. The judge acknowledged that while the victim’s efforts to protect his daughter-in-law escalated the situation, such actions did not excuse the violence that transpired.
The court emphasized the importance of denouncing violent behavior while also considering Nabalarua’s demonstrations of remorse for his actions. Consequently, a partially suspended sentence was deemed appropriate.
Additionally, an interim domestic violence restraining order has been put in place to protect Nabalarua’s father and the family.