The High Court of Fiji has sentenced Aiyaz Ali to life imprisonment for the attempted murder of his former de-facto partner, in a case described by the court as one of high culpability and extreme violence.
In a judgment delivered in Lautoka on February 26, Justice Aruna Aluthge ordered that Aiyaz Ali must serve a minimum of four years’ imprisonment from the date of his arrest before a presidential pardon may be considered.
Ali was originally charged in 2014 with one count of attempted murder and two related offences.
Although he initially pleaded guilty, that plea was later set aside on appeal, and the matter was sent back to the High Court for a fresh trial. Ali pleaded not guilty but later absconded, prompting the court to proceed with the trial in absentia.
The court heard that the victim, who was Ali’s former partner and pregnant at the time, had fled their home after being sexually abused and had obtained a Domestic Violence Restraining Order (DVRO).
When she returned with a police officer to collect her belongings, Ali followed her inside the house, locked the door and repeatedly attacked her with a cane knife, inflicting severe injuries to her head, face, neck, hands and shoulders.
The victim lost consciousness and was hospitalised for three weeks, requiring surgery and long-term physiotherapy. The attack occurred in the presence of their young children and in defiance of a court order.
In sentencing, the judge noted that attempted murder carries the same penalty as murder under the Crimes Act 2009, with mandatory life imprisonment and judicial discretion to set a minimum term.
The court found the offence aggravated by the breach of trust, the domestic setting, the use of a weapon, and the lasting harm suffered by the victim.
The court also noted that Ali remains at large, with an outstanding bench warrant yet to be executed.
Ali was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of four years to be served upon arrest, after taking into account time previously spent in remand and custody.
