A 22 year old man was today sentenced to a minimum 20 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to one count of murder and robbery with violence for killing a van driver so he could have enough money to go and watch the Coca Cola games in 2005.

While handing down the sentence, High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo highlights that Timoci Ravurabota was 17 at the time of the offence in April 2005 and was attending Form 6 at Tailevu North College.

Judge Temo said Ravurabota wanted to attend the Coca Cola Games at the National Stadium and asked his mother for admission fee, and she gave him $20.

Justice Temo said Ravurabota felt the amount was not enough for his fare, food and admission fee and he planned to do a robbery in order to get more money for the Coca Cola Games.

At about 8pm, on 29th April 2005, Ravurabota saw the deceased, a 17 year old Navneet Singh, driving a white van for hire, and made him the target of his robbery plans.

Ravurabota hired the van driver and took him towards Ratu Kadavulevu School in Tailevu.

Ravurabota got out of the van on the way and put a knife on the deceased's neck and told him to get out of the van.

The deceased gave him more than $100 cash.
 
Justice Temo notes that Ravurabota took the deceased behind a tree and punched him before stabbing him in the neck and chest 12 times.

Ravurabota then threw the deceased into the river, however the victim was not dead and Ravurabota jumped into the water and submerged his head until he died.
 
Justice Temo told Ravurabota that he has taken a young life and the manner in which he squeezed the last breath out of the young man can be described as nothing as despicable and was the height of evil.

Ravurabota is to spend a minimum 20 years behind bars.