Litia Cava 
[Photo: File]
A Lautoka man convicted of manslaughter over a fatal stabbing has avoided immediate jail time.
The court suspended his sentence after finding he acted during an unprovoked attack.
High Court judge Justice Sunil Sharma sentenced Rishal Kumar to one year, 11 months and five days imprisonment for killing Apakuki Tavodi at Saweni, Lautoka.
The incident took place in January 2024. The sentence was suspended for two years.
The court heard Kumar was attacked by Tavodi outside Superfoods Supermarket after refusing to hand over his Adidas shoes.
The confrontation escalated, and during a struggle over Kumar’s car keys, a flip knife opened and Kumar stabbed Tavodi in the stomach.
Tavodi suffered a penetrating abdominal injury, with around 50 centimeters of bowel exposed and damage to an artery.
He later died in hospital from severe internal bleeding.
Justice Sharma said the offence was serious and a life had been lost, but noted several factors in Kumar’s favour.
He said Kumar was 20 years old at the time, had no previous convictions, showed remorse, cooperated with police and the deceased was the aggressor.
The court accepted Kumar’s guilty plea and reduced his sentence after considering his good character and personal circumstances.
Defence submissions highlighted that Kumar is married, has a one-year-old son and works as a construction worker earning $250 a week.
Justice Sharma said the circumstances of the case were compelling and rehabilitation was an important factor.
He said the unprovoked attack on Kumar and the absence of aggravating factors justified giving him a second chance.
Kumar was also credited for time already spent on remand. He has 30 days to appeal the decision.
