THE High Court in Suva has acquitted a 38-year-old woman who was accused of the manslaughter of her husband.
Keresi Vualiku was legally married to Sevuloni Ququma for 17 years before the alleged incident occurred on April 1 last year.
Court records show Mr Ququmai had jumped onto the roof of the car driven by Ms Vualiku, a mother-of-one, along a gravel road through Qauia Settlement.
Ms Vualiku kept driving the car despite her husband asking her to stop the vehicle. He then fell off the car and hit a light post.
Ms Vualiku stopped the car and managed to put him in the vehicle with the help of a passerby, and took him home.
The next day her husband visited the Lami Medical Centre complaining of head pains. He was admitted to the CWM Hospital where his condition gradually deteriorated until his death on April 11.
According to the post-mortem examination report, the external cause of death was an alleged history of assault.
Ms Vualiku was represented by August Legal lawyer Loqi Cati.
“I conclude that the prosecution failed to prove the offence of manslaughter as charged in the information beyond a reasonable doubt,” Justice Thushara Rajasinghe said in his ruling.
“I, hence, find the accused not guilty of this offence as charged in the information and acquit her accordingly.”
