Woman alleged to set de facto partner on fire in Sakoca stands trial

A woman charged with the murder of her de facto partner is standing trial before Suva High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo.   

Marianne Premila Devi allegedly threw a bowl of kerosene on her defacto partner and set him on fire on 17th November 2016 in Sakoca. 

The first prosecution witness, Samuela Viaviaturaga who is a neighbor told the court, that before the deceased sat in the taxi to go to the hospital, he had told him that his wife had poured kerosene on him and burnt him.

During cross examination, defence lawyer Lisiate Qetaki asked Viaviaturaga if he had mentioned in his statement he gave to the police in 2016 that the accused had spoken to him.

He said that he had forgotten about this.

Qetaki put to Viaviaturaga that if he had spoken to the deceased back in 2016 then he would have mentioned it in his police statement in 2016 or in the latest one that he gave last month.

Viaviaturaga said that he had spoken to the deceased.

It was also put to the witness that before he had taken the deceased to the hospital, he had taken Devi and the deceased to some women in Beqa to try and heal the deceased’s wound and because the women had informed him that they could not assist him, they had come back to Sakoca.

Viaviaturaga said that he does not remember this.

The second prosecution witness Dr Amit Sewak is currently taking the stand.