A 34-year-old farmer charged with unlawful cultivation of marijuana was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail by the High Court in Labasa yesterday.

Sevanaia Bati appeared before Justice Daniel Goundar.

Judge Justice Goundar told the court that Bati pleaded guilty after he was sent to prison for committing a similar offence while he was on bail for this case.

“The main reason you pleaded guilty in this case is because you are seeking a concurrent sentence with your pre-existing sentence,” Justice Goundar told Bati.

“People who cultivate marijuana for profit have little concern regarding the effects of this drug on the users in society.

“A prison sentence is unavoidable.

“Deterrence and protection of the community are the primary purposes for sentence in cases of cultivating marijuana for sale.”

On June 22, 2010 Bati was caught cultivating marijuana at Natuvu Settlement in Cakaudrove after a Police raid.

Altogether 71 marijuana plants were uprooted from his farm.

The plants were between 27 centimetres and 129 centimetres in height.

The plants weighed four kilograms.

During the raid, the Police discovered 274.8 grams of dried leaves.

Justice Goundar said he considered both Bati’s individual criminality in this case and his overall criminality arising from the fact that he committed the second offence of cultivating marijuana while he was on bail for this case.

Hence, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years imprisonment with a non-parole period of two years to be served concurrently with his pre-existing sentence.

Edited by Epineri Vula

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