A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the murder of his wife.
Raphael Sare, from Onemae Zone, Fiu village, Central Kwaraae, Malaita Province, will become eligible for parole after 15 years.
Sare was charged and convicted with the murder of his 20-year-old wife on March 27, 2022.
The sentencing was delivered by High Court judge Justice Leonard Maina during the High Court circuit in Auki.
The court proceedings revealed that on the early morning of March 27, 2022, Sare returned home to find his wife absent from their room. After searching for her, he discovered her at another house and escorted her back to their residence.
It was during their return home Sare assaulted his wife at their family home. Due to her injuries and distress, some women came to her aid and rushed her to Kiluufi hospital. Despite the nurses’ efforts, she passed away due to her injuries around 9am the same day.
The autopsy report presented during the trial indicated that the cause of death was severe internal bleeding in the abdominal cavity caused by a rupture of the spleen, resulting from blunt trauma to the abdomen.
Justice Maina concluded that the defendant had brutally kicked his wife twice in the forehead, leading to grievous injuries, excessive blood loss, and ultimately, her untimely death.
Based on the conclusive evidence and the doctor’s report, the court found Sare guilty of murdering his wife with malice aforethought and subsequently convicted him on the charge of murder.
As a result, he was handed a life imprisonment sentence with the condition that he serves a minimum of 15 years in jail before being eligible to apply for parole.
The prosecution was represented by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, while the defense counsel, Limeniala, represents the defendant.
