TWO men have been sentenced to seven years in prison with a five-year non-parole period for a terrifying, armed commercial robbery at a Samabula pharmacy last year.
Magistrate Yogesh Prasad sentenced Harry Smith Draunidalo and Jese Vuniasi Manakilagi Nayavusoata yesterday after the two pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery.
Court records show that Draunidalo and Nayavusoata robbed two men inside the Moti St Pharmacy in Samabula.
Armed with an empty wine bottle and a kitchen knife, the men entered the pharmacy, threatened the staff, and demanded they empty the cash register.
Dissatisfied with the small amount of money in the cash register, Nayavusoata took the cash and demanded an additional $100, threatening to kill the victims.
While gathering the victims’ belongings, Nayavusoata struck a staff member on the head with the handle of a chopper he was holding.
The total value of items stolen was about $5215. Police subsequently located the men at Charles St in Toorak, Suva.
In delivering his sentence on May 22, Magistrate Prasad said the incident caused post-traumatic psychological harm to the staff and that the offence was premeditated.
The two have 28 days to appeal to the High Court.
