52yr-old sentenced to 3 yrs imprisonment for assault and manslaughter

A 52-year-old man has been sentenced to three years imprisonment after he was found guilty of one count of assaulting occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of manslaughter.

The Court heard that on the 8th of September 2012 Samuela Ledua repeatedly slapped his one year old adopted son on the cheeks and blocked the infants mouth to prevent him from crying resulting in his death.

While sentencing Ledua, High Court Judge Aruna Aluthge says this is the case of manslaughter in a domestic context. Furthermore, Ledua did not have any regard to psychological impact of his action on his niece who witnessed the inhumane slapping of the infant with horror.   

Aluthge says the infant did not give any provocation to Ledua. The infant was only crying.

Aluthge says crying was the only language the infant could speak to express his grief, hunger or anything of that sort.

He adds Ledua had not shown any compassion when he repeatedly slapped his adopted son.

He is eligible for parole after two years of imprisonment.