BY MELVILLE TITIULU
A man has been ordered to pay $3000 fine after he was found guilty of domestic violence.
The man, 41, who cannot be named for the protection of the victim, was ordered by the magistrate court yesterday to pay the fine by Friday, February 27 before 4pm.
He was charged with one count of domestic violence contrary to section 58(1) of the Family Protection Act, 2014.
Failure to pay by the given date, the man faces a six-month prison time.
The complainant is 39 years old. She is a market vendor at the central market in Honiara.
The man and the victim are husband and wife who have five children.
Case facts said on November 22, 2025, the complainant was selling her products at the central market when the man who was drunk came and sat by her side.
The man had been drinking since the day before.
As they were sitting together, the man told the victim that he was going to the hospital because his nephew had died.
The victim told him that in her culture it was forbidden to show up to a death when one was drunk.
The man replied by swearing at the victim.
The behaviour of the man at the time left the victim feeling embarrassed.
A police officer and a city council law enforcement officer came and apprehended the man.
He was charged and bailed to appear in court on December 15, 2025.
The man failed to appear in court on two occasions, so prosecution applied for a warrant of arrest.
The man was remanded in custody on January 27, 2026.
He was arraigned on February 17, 2026 and pleaded guilty.
Magistrate Ben Alasia heard the aggravating and mitigating factors in court yesterday.
In his ruling he said that since the man had two prior convictions for domestic violence and psychological abuse on June 6, 2023 apart from other convictions, this was a serious aggravating factor.
The defendant is a persistent offender and failed to deter by previous orders and sentencing imposed by this court, Alasia said.
Court noted that the defendant had been remanded in custody since January 27. He spent 23 days in custody. The days the defendant spent in custody are served as part of his sentencing and he already served it.
Thus, was ordered by magistrate court to pay $3000 as fine by Friday, February 27 before 4pm.
PC Auna J acted for prosecutions and Luahiti H appeared for the defendant.
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