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{\title IN THE SUPREME COURT OF FIJI}{\author blake_r}{\operator blake_r}{\creatim\yr2005\mo2\dy15\hr15\min59}{\revtim\yr2005\mo2\dy15\hr15\min59}{\version2}{\edmins5}{\nofpages2}{\nofwords575}{\nofchars3283}{\*\company USP}{\nofcharsws3851}{\vern16389}}
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\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 \fs20\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF FIJI
\par }{\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 Appellate Jurisdiction
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 Criminal Appeal No.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 52 of 1978
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 GEORGE POSORIO}{\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 Appellant
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 v.
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 REGINAM}{\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 Respondent
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 Appellant in Person
\par Mr. I. Khan for the Respondent
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 JUDGMENT
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
The accused was convicted of attempted rape and sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment. He has drafted his own grounds of appeal which clearly referred to the sentence but the rest was somewhat garbled. Before the hearing commenced I managed to elucidate that
 although he admitted assaulting the victim he wished to plead against the conviction for attempt rape. Crown counsel having no objection the appeal proceeded on that basis.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 Being in person the accused had little to}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
say and he stated that what he wanted to 
tell me was contained in his petition. His petition shows that he was under the influence of liquor at the time and follows up his evidence in the Magistrate's Court which was that the female complainant had stolen some recorded tapes of his.
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
\par His appeal against conviction really amounts to a complaint that the decision could not be supported having regard to the evidence.
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 There was in this case no doubt on the question of identity. The accused had been to the same night club as the complainant and they h
ad gone on from there to the home of a mutual acquaintance and consumed beer, which may well have been in addition to anything consumed in the night club.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
\par The complainant left her friend's home about 3 a.m. and was followed by the accused. She said he atta
cked her, forced her to the ground, punched her face and tried to rape her. She escaped and hit in the lavatory of a nearby house, having lost her shoes in the struggle. She emerged at day break and was found by a passing motorist to whom she made her com
plaint and he took her to the police station. He gave evidence of her bruised and beaten condition which was supported by medical evidence. She was in fact badly beaten.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
\par In his evidence the accused admitted assaulting the complainant and tearing her dress. 
He said he was angry because she had taken two of his recorded tapes. Evidence which the Magistrate accepted revealed that the tapes did not belong to accused but to the friend whose home they had just left. He also found that the accused had said nothing
 to the police about the tapes and was using this as an explanation for his violent behaviour to the complainant.
\par 
\par In a voluntary statement to the police the accused admitted asking the complainant to have intercourse with him and that she refused. In evidence he stated that he had not desired to have intercourse with her.}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
\par The learned Magistrate considered the evidence very carefully and gave full reasons for accepting the evidence which he acted upon. He}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 was fully justified in convicting the accused and the appeal against conviction is dismissed.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
\par With regard to appeal against sentence }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 I }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 concur in the accused's complaint that it is }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 severe }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 but that is not the same thing as manifestly }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 ex}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 cessive or even excessive.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 The attack on the 
complainant was by no means half-hearted; it was pressed with great violence and the complainant}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
suffered a very severe beating in the course of her resistance. It was only because she managed to escape and hide that brought the attack to an end;}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 the accused did not desist of his own volition. }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 The }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
accused has two previous convictions neither of }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 which }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 resulted in prison terms but they indicate som
e leaning towards violence. In 1972 he was bound over for assault occasioning actual bodily harm }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 and }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
in 1977 fined $100.00 or 5 months' in default for damaging property}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 .
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 
\par One must not overlook the prevalence of rape at the present time and the learned Magistrate had regard to this factor.
\par 
\par I consider that I would not be justified in interfering with the sentence.
\par 
\par The appeals against conviction and sentence are dismissed.
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 J.T. Williams
\par JUDGE
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13457821 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821 
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid13457821\charrsid13457821 Suva,
\par 28th August, 1978
\par }}