Nilesh Lal, also known as John Harish Lal has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison after being convicted of several serious charges.

These include aggravated burglary, theft, assault causing actual bodily harm, and unlawful possession of illicit drugs.

The court also declared Lal a habitual offender due to his long history of committing similar crimes.

The charges against Lal are related to an incident that took place on December 25, 2021 in Vatuwaqa, Suva.

On that day, Lal along with others broke into a house with the intention of stealing.

They took several items including mobile phones, a jewellery box, electronic devices, a wallet, watches and some coins.

During the break-in, Lal also assaulted a man, causing actual bodily harm.
Lal was also found in possession of 3.7 grams of cannabis.

The court sentenced Lal to five years for the crimes of aggravated burglary and theft.

These two sentences will run consecutively, meaning that they will be served one after the other.

For the assault charge, Lal was given an additional 6 months in prison.

This six-month sentence will run concurrently with the other sentences, meaning it will be served at the same time as the longer sentences.

Regarding the charge of unlawful possession of illicit drugs, Lal was fined $100.

If he fails to pay the fine, he could face an additional 10 days in prison.

Puisine Judge Usaia Ratuvili stated that Lal has already spent one year and eight months in remand, which is the time he spent in custody while awaiting trial.

This period will be deducted from his overall sentence.

As a result, Lal will serve a total of three years and four months in prison.

He will be eligible for parole after completing two years and four months of his sentence.

The court also took into account Lal’s extensive criminal record when sentencing him.

Lal has a long history of committing similar offenses including multiple convictions for burglary and theft.