Chased, attacked and killed: Seven years for manslaughter

Justice Riyaz Hamza has sentenced Farasiko Tuvari Rakoli to seven years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of five years, for the manslaughter of Christopher Lane.

Rakoli was initially charged with murder following the fatal incident in January 2023.

However, the charge was reduced to manslaughter after plea negotiations between the prosecution and defence, with the amended plea accepted by the High Court in December 2025.

The offence arose from a physical confrontation following a verbal dispute near Martintar, Nadi, on January 5, 2023.

Court evidence revealed that Lane initially struck Rakoli during the altercation. A friend of Rakoli then hit Lane with a tree branch.

Lane attempted to flee but was pursued by Rakoli and another man before seeking cover behind rubbish bins.

A witness, identified as PW2, told the court he saw two men chasing another man towards Burger King and was able to describe Rakoli's appearance.

CCTV footage, which was reviewed by the court, showed Lane swinging a rubbish bin at Rakoli before Rakoli retaliated with a piece of glass, inflicting injuries that later proved fatal.

Lane fled the scene but later died from his injuries.

In delivering sentence, Justice Hamza considered evidence from four witnesses, including their written statements and CCTV footage.

The court imposed a seven-year prison term, which was reduced to account for time already spent in custody. As a result, Rakoli has six years and three months remaining on his sentence.

He will not be eligible for parole until he has served five years of the sentence and has been granted leave to appeal within 30 days.