Praneeta Prakash 
[File Photo]
A 46- year- old man who murdered his wife in Drasa Lautoka in 2019 has been handed mandatory life imprisonment by the High Court.
Mohammed Aiyaz Ahmed was convicted of one count of murder and one count of breach of domestic violence restraining order.
The court heard that Ahmed and the deceased developed marital problems overtime which led them to obtaining domestic violence restraining order.
A few days before the incident, the deceased left the marital home with her two children to live with her sister.
The court heard that after staying with her sister for a week, the deceased returned home on 19th November 2019 without the children.
She was sleeping when at around2am Ahmed went to her bedroom with a knife he had hidden under his mattress.
Ahmed punched her to wake up and then slit her throat and stabbed her.
The court heard that after that he went to the bathroom, washed himself and the knife and threw it away in a nearby well.
He then went to his workplace.
The High Court judge while sentencing Ahmed stated that this murder was clearly intentional and it involved extreme violence.
The victim impact statement shows that the impact on the children is likely to be devastating.
The Judge also stated that Ahem murdered as protected person in utter disregard of the DVRO issued by the court.
While handing the mandatory life sentence the judge stated that Ahmed has to serve 18 years before a pardon may be considered.
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