A MAN who threatened a mother and her children with a gun before setting their house alight has been jailed for three years in the Honiara Magistrates Court.
Richard Rava pleaded guilty on a previous court hearing to the charges of arson, criminal trespass, intimidation and purchasing, acquiring or possession of firearm or ammunition without licence.
Principal Magistrate Fatima Taeburi during the sentencing told Rava that he burnt down the house although he knew a child was inside.
“You have no regard at all for the life of the innocent child,” Ms Taeburi told Rava.
“You could have caused harm or death to the child,” she added.
Rava and a group of men went to the house of the two complainants who are husband and wife on the morning of 4 September 2013.
This was when the husband left his wife and children to discuss a dispute between his family and that of the accused.
Rava was armed with a gun and other people in his group were also armed with guns, bush knives, bows and arrows, slings and so forth.
The court heard the accused and his group arrived while the complainant (wife) was preparing breakfast for her children.
According to the facts, Rava came and pointed the gun at the wife and told her they will burn down the house.
Despite being asked not to burn down the house because her six year old daughter was sleeping inside, Rava and his group started pouring petrol on the outside walling of the house.
The complainant ran inside the house and took her daughter and while she was inside, Rava and his men started pouring petrol on the inner walling of the house.
She ran outside and one of the men lit the house which was later burnt down.
Rava and his men then escaped.
Ms Taeburi told Rava that he used a gun to intimidate an innocent woman who was unarmed at the time.
“Any act of violence and aggression committed on our women and children will not be taken lightly by this court.”
She however, also considered the accused’s guilty pleas that a chupu was conducted in the value of $12,687 and both parties have already reconciled.
Ms Taeburi told Rava she took note he was upset about the alleged shooting of his brother which he claimed the complainants’ son did to his brother.
“But your grievances must be channeled through the right processes.
“You have taken the law into your own hands thus you must accept that there are consequences for your unlawful actions.”
A four year jail term was imposed for the arson charge, while one year was imposed for the criminal trespass charge.
Ms Taeburi added eight months imprisonment term for each of the remaining two charges.
All sentences were ordered to run concurrently, which total up to four years.
The magistrate then deducted six months for the accused’s guilty plea and another six months for all the other mitigating factors.
Rava was then ordered to serve three years in jail.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
