Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-AU
X-NONE
X-NONE
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
A MAGISTRATE has sent a man to 18 months in prison on Monday for receiving a stolen computer belonging to the Solomon Islands National University (SINU).
John Rasia Kunua was initially charged with one count of house breaking.
The charge was however, withdrawn and substituted with receiving, to which Kunua pleaded guilty.
Principal Magistrate Ricky Iomea said the accused was with other men and had effective possession and control over the computers, which to his knowledge were stolen or stolen in circumstances which amount to felony.
“You were clearly willing and anxious to be involved with the stolen computers,” Mr Iomea told the accused.
The court heard the accused took the computers and kept them at his cousin sister’s house.
“This is not the case where the stolen properties were brought to you or sold to you at your home.
“You went on and sold one of the computers which you knew had been stolen from SINU, Panatina Campus,” Mr Iomea told Kunua.
Mr Iomea noted the accused’s personal and family circumstances, he has a wife and a child who dependent on him for their wellbeing and will be affected by his incarceration, saying it is unfortunate but he should have thought of them first before committing such offence.
He added that the classic principles of sentencing are often described as retribution, deterrence, prevention and rehabilitation.
“While giving full consideration to each of these principles, in my judgment the principles of personal and general deterrence are paramount in this case.”
After taking into account the aggravating and mitigation factors into consideration, he set down an appropriate sentence of two years which he ordered to start on 18 October 2014, the day the accused was taken into custody.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
