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{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}\pard\plain \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8338578 \f36\fs24\lang1033\langfe5129\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp5129 {\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 IN THE HIGH COURT OF FIJI

\par At Suva
\par Appellate Jurisdiction
\par }{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
\par CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 19 OF 1991
\par 
\par Between:
\par 
\par }{\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 ISOA BOSEYACO}{\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8338578\charrsid8338578 
\par }{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 Appellant
\par 
\par v.
\par 
\par }{\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 THE STATE}{\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8338578\charrsid8338578 
\par }{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 Respondent
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8338578 {\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
\par Appellant in Person
\par Mr. J. Naigulevu for the Respondent
\par }{\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\tqc\tx3969\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8338578 {\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 REASONS FOR DECISION
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8338578 {\b\f0\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
\par }{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 The appellant was convicted in the Magistrate Court at Nausori on the }{\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 19th of September 1990}{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years imprisonment.}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid10900318  }{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
He had pleaded guilty to an offence of }{\f0\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 House Breaking, Entering and Larceny}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
 which he is alleged to have committed in }{\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 October 1988}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 .
\par 
\par At the tim
e of his conviction and sentence for the present offence, the appellant had only just been released from prison after serving a sentence of 2 years imprisonment imposed by the Suva Magistrate Court on the 6th of January 1989 in respect of 9 offences of }{
\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 Burglary}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  and }{\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 House Breaking}{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 .
\par }{\f0\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
\par }{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 {\*\bkmkstart QuickMark}{\*\bkmkend QuickMark}Indeed the appellant was released on the }{\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 5th of September 1990}{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  and the trial record reveals that he was first charged before the Nausori Magistrate Court for the present offence on the }{
\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 12th of September, 1990}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  and sentenced to imprisonment a week later on the }{
\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 19th of September, 1990}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 .}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid10900318  }{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 Needless to say the appellant had been}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid10900318  }{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
at large for barely 2 weeks when he was returned to prison.
\par 
\par The appellant now appeals against the sentence on the ground that it is harsh and excessive and more particularly at the delay in laying the charge against him.}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid10900318  }{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
\par 
\par He also complained that the present offence was committed during the same period as the 9 offences for which he had already served a sentence of 2 years imprisonment and because of the delay he was deprived of the opportunity of receiving a }{
\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 concurrent sentence}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  for the present offence.
\par 
\par I am grateful to learned State Counsel for his assistance in this appeal.}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid10900318  }{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
Counsel confirmed that the previous 9 offences were committed between the }{\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 24th of September 1988}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  and the }{
\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 5th of November 1988}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 , which places the present offence almost in the middle of that }{
\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 "crime-spree"}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 .}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid10900318  }{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 Furthermore the offences were also similar or identical in nature to the present offence }{\i\f0\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 except}{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  that they were committed in Suva.
\par 
\par Having regard to the frequency with which the appellant has committed this type of offence, I am satisfied that the learned trial magistrate passed an appropriate albeit heavy cu}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8338578 
stodial sentence in this case.}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
\par 
\par I am equally convinced that the present sentence would have been ordered to run concurrently with the 9 previous sentences if the charges were dealt with together }{\f0\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 or}{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  if the trial magistrate had been properly appraised of the dates of the previous offences as this court has been.
\par 
\par Learned State Counsel also pointed out that the appellant was charged by the Nausori police for this present offence on the }{\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 10th of November, 1988}{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  but no formal charge was laid in court until almost 2 years later on the 12th of September, 1990.}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid10900318  }{
\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 Counsel was unable to satisfactorily expla
in this extraordinary delay and he concedes that a concurrent sentence would not have been wrong in principle had this charge been dealt with along with the other 9.
\par 
\par In my view sentences that ought properly to be served }{\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 concurrently}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578  as a matter of sentenc
ing principle ought not to depend on the arbitrary criterion of when the formal charges are laid }{\f0\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 or}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
 on the location of the court where the charges are laid.}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid10900318  }{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 The principle must stand on surer ground.
\par 
\par For the above reasons, having regard to the fact that the appellant had already served 8 months of his present sentence, I ordered his immediate release last Thursday the }{\i\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
18th of April, 1991}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 .
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\tqc\tx3969\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8338578 {\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 (D.V. Fatiaki)
\par }{\b\f0\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 JUDGE
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8338578 {\b\f0\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 
\par }{\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544\charrsid8338578 At Suva,
\par 23rd April, 1991.}{\b\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid8588544 
\par }\pard \qr \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4466965 {\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4466965 HAA0019.91S}{\f0\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4466965\charrsid4466965 
\par }}