A prisoner serving his sentence for escaping from lawful custody and damaging property was granted appeal by the Lautoka High Court today to serve his sentence concurrently with his pre-existing prison sentence.

Waisake Matea was sentenced to two months imprisonment on each count to be served concurrently with another accused however the Magistrate court ordered that Matea also serve his sentence consecutively as well.

Matea filed an appeal against the sentence claiming that the magistrate did not take into consideration his guilty plea,  the consecutive sentence was wrong in principle, and that a  concurrent sentence was right and appropriate, that he was a first offender in escaping from lawful custody and that he received a longer term in compared to another accused which was unfair.

Matea and two others escaped from the Natabua Prison on 30th September 2007 damaging the iron bar and perimeter fence valued at $30,000.

Judge, Justice Daniel Gounder allowed the appeal taking into consideration that the Magistrate did not give any reason for treating the two offenders differently, and ordered that the sentences imposed on Matea are to be served concurrently with his pre-existing prison sentence.