Woman who injured husband with cane knife avoids jail

A woman who struck her husband with a cane knife, causing a serious skull injury, has been sentenced by the High Court in Labasa.

Roshni Devi Lal, 34, was sentenced to a one-year community-based corrections order after pleading guilty to causing grievous harm to her husband.

Lal appeared before High Court Judge Justice Lee James Burney on May 28, 2026, for sentencing.

The court heard that Lal had pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025, to one count of an act intended to cause grievous harm.

She was subsequently convicted.

Justice Burney said the matter involved domestic violence and required careful consideration of both punishment and rehabilitation.

A pre-sentencing report told the court that Lal is a 34-year-old mother of four and the primary caregiver of a young child.

The report also noted a history of vulnerability, mental health concerns and emotional strain, and assessed her as posing a low to moderate risk to the community.

The court was told she had shown remorse, cooperated with police and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

The prosecution submitted that the offence carried a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, with an indicative tariff of two to five years' imprisonment, and stressed the seriousness of using a weapon in a domestic setting.

However, the defence argued that Lal’s personal circumstances, rehabilitation needs and the welfare of her child supported a non-custodial sentence.

Justice Burney said that while domestic violence offences generally warrant strong denunciation, rehabilitation was the primary consideration in this case.

He ordered that Lal be placed on a community-based corrections order for one year under strict supervision and that she comply with all conditions and directions of her supervising officer.

She was also warned that failure to comply with the order could result in her being brought back before the court and dealt with differently.

Lal has the right to appeal the sentence within 30 days.