A 33-year-old carpenter was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for murdering his 35-year-old de facto partner in Nasinu last year.
High Court in Suva judge Justice Salesi Temo ordered that Jekope Rokovuki Naimawi serve a minimum term of 18 years before he could seek a pardon.
Naimawi had assaulted the victim while drinking homebrew with her and some friends.
When she fled to a neighbour’s house, he took her to their house where he poured benzene on her, lit a match and set her alight. She suffered 45 per cent burns to her body and died the following day.
Justice Temo told Naimawi he had to be punished.
