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\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\caps\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 IN THE HIGH COURT OF FIJI
\par At Labasa
\par Appellate Jurisdiction
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8659699 {\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
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\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 0008 OF 2002}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699\charrsid8659699 
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\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
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\par }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 Appellant
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\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8659699 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 THE STATE
\par }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 Respondent
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\par Appellant in Person
\par Mr. J. Rabuku for the State}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699\charrsid8659699 
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid8659699 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 JUDGMENT}{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699\charrsid8659699 
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\par }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 The is an appeal against a sentence of 2 years imprisonment imposed by the }{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 Taveuni Magistrates Court}{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  upon the appellant\rquote s conviction for an offence of }{\b\ul\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 Larceny of Cattle}{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 .}{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
\par }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
\par The appellant had been jointly charged with 2 others for the offence and had pleaded guilty.}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699  }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 He also admitted to
 being part of a group of cattle rustlers who had willingly taken part in the offence charged.}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530 
\par }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699\charrsid8659699 
\par }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 In his letter of appeal the appellant advances several grounds including, the failure of the trial magistrate to make any allowance for his guilty plea, thus saving Court time }{
\ul\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 and}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  the absence of any rehabilitative element in the sentence imposed.
\par 
\par Additionally, at the hearing of the appeal, the appellant emphasised his relative youth }{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 (Date of Birth}{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699 :}{
\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  23.9.83)}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699 ;}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  the fact that he had pleaded guilty and was a first of
fender unlike his co-accused who had received the same sentence.}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699  }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
The appellant also claimed that he had committed the offence as a result of being }{\b\i\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699 '}{\b\i\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 in wrong company\rquote }{
\i\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 and professed to have learnt his lesson from his eight }{
\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 (8)}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  months of incarceration.
\par 
\par State Counsel for his part, without conceding the appeal, accepted that the sentence }{\b\i\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699 '}{\b\i\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 could be on the high side for this appellant
\rquote }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 .
\par 
\par The trial magistrate in sentencing the appellant said}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699 :}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
\par 
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The offence is serious especially when we consider the fact that these 3 were part of a group who steal the sweat of the estate owners plus the fact that they cut parts of animals and leave the rest of the carcass to rot on the field.\rquote }{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
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\par Plainly the trial magistrate treated the appellant and his co-accused on an equal footing despite the differences in their ages and past behaviour.}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699  }{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 Furthermore no mention is made of their guilty pleas.}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699 
\par 
\par }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 In this latter regard it is significant that a co-accused of the appellant }{\b\ul\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 Aborosio Ikanidevo}{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  had his sentence reduced, on appeal, to }{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 15 months}{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699  }{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 imprisonment because the court considered it was }{\b\i\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699 '}{\b\i\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
...... on the high side }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 (and) }{\b\i\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
there is nothing in the record to show that the mitigating factors have been taken into account ......\rquote  }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 (}{\i\ul\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 see}{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699 :}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  }{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 Labasa Crim. App. No. 7 of 2002}{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  }{\i\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 per}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  }{
\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 Pathik J.}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 ).
\par 
\par In similar vein and mindful that the present appellant is younger than his above-named co-accused and with a view to dispelling any concerns about disparity in the sentences, I allow the appeal and reduce the appellant\rquote s sentence to one of twelve }
{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 (12)}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  }{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 months}{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  imprisonment with effect from the }{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 12}{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\super\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 th}{
\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  of November 2001}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 .}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid8659699 
\par 
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\par }{\b\ul\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 JUDGE
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\par }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 At Labasa,
\par 23}{\lang2057\langfe1033\super\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 rd}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699  July, 2002.}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid11689530\charrsid8659699 
\par }}