Six Months Behind Bars For Bid To Burn Sister’s Home

A 39-year-old woman has been ordered by the High Court in Suva to serve six months in jail for setting fire to the door of her sister’s home at Narere, Nasinu.

Vinita Devi Nair was sentenced yesterday by Justice Aruna Aluthge after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of arson.

The court heard that Nair committed the offence on March 31, 2019, because her sister had taken food items from her.

While delivering the sentence, Justice Aluthge said that Nair tried to set the house on fire while her own son was sleeping inside the house.

“You tried to set fire to the house of your own sister at night. You disregarded her right to her property,” he said.

“You had an intention of taking revenge because your sister took food items.

“Your conduct was reckless for not checking if anyone was inside the house.

“You have learnt your lesson from your mistake.

“Your action must be denounced. However, I take into consideration that you are a mother of eight children and your youngest child is three months old.”

Nair was initially sentenced to 21 months in jail and ordered to serve six months while the remaining 15 months was suspended for three years.

She was given 30 days to appeal against her sentence to the Fiji Court of Appeal.

Edited by Epineri Vula

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