A 38-year-old who pleaded guilty to 2 counts of robbery with violence has been sentenced to 6 years imprisonment by High Court Judge Justice Nazhat Shameem.

Iremaia Ratu pleaded guilty to being part of a group of men who robbed a shop owner in Mead Road on January 2005 armed with iron rods, pinch bars and cane knives. As they broke open the front door grills, the shop owner fled into the back of the premises with her baby and Ratu and others then stole cash and assorted items worth over $4,000.

The group then went on to the Shell Service Station in Nabua, where they again broke into the premises and stole assorted items worth over $1000. The Security guard on duty fled and locked himself in the bulk store.

Judge Shameem started the sentence at 8 years and noted that Ratu pleaded guilty and did not waste the courts time that he was not part of the planning of the robberies and that no one was actually harmed in the process.

However with 29 previous convictions of a similar nature and that weapons were used, she sentenced Ratu to 6 year behind bars.