A 29 year old mother yesterday escaped a jail term after pleading guilty to willfully causing the death of her new born son in May 2003.

While, sentencing Ulamila Wati, High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo referred to similar court cases, where the High Court gave non custodial sentences to offenders, and ordered that she be placed under the supervision of the probation officer responsible for Vunisenitoa Settlement, Verata, Tailevu, for a period of two years.

He also ruled that supervising court will be the Nausori Magistrate Court, that she undergoes counseling with the Department of Social Welfare as the Department sees fit, that she remain in residence at Vunisenitoa Settlement, subject to amendment under the schedule to the Probation of Offenders Act, however if she fails to comply with the terms of this order, or if she commits another offence during the period of probation, she will be liable to be sentenced for this offence.

The Court gave her non-custodial sentence after considering that she=s a first offender, she pleaded guilty and saved courts time.

Story by: Ronal Deo