Roches-Noires Man Jailed Seven Months for Sabre Attack on Neighbour

A 38-year-old homeless man has been sentenced to seven months in prison for grievous assault after attacking a 58-year-old man with a sabre at his home in Roches-Noires, a coastal village on the north-east coast of Mauritius.

The attack took place on Sunday 1 November. The assailant arrived at the victim's home claiming he wanted to apologise following an earlier dispute between the two men. As the victim prepared to hear him out, the attacker suddenly produced a sabre and struck him repeatedly on both arms and across the head.

Police received an emergency call and a patrol unit rushed to the scene, where they found the 58-year-old lying on his back in his own courtyard, surrounded by a pool of blood. Despite suffering deep lacerations to both arms and his skull, the victim was conscious and able to describe what had happened to officers.

A SAMU team, the emergency medical service operated by the Mauritian health authorities, attended the scene and transported the victim to SAJ Hospital in Flacq, the main public hospital serving the east of the island. His condition was described as a cause for concern.

The attacker was arrested by police shortly after the incident. He was brought before the District Court of Pamplemousses on Tuesday 3 November, just two days after the assault, and was convicted of causing grievous harm. The court handed down a sentence of seven months' imprisonment.

Roches-Noires falls under the jurisdiction of the Pamplemousses district, whose court handles criminal cases from across the northern and north-eastern parts of Mauritius.

This case adds to a series of recent incidents involving bladed weapons on the island. Courts have been dealing with an increasing number of assault cases involving machetes and similar implements in both urban and rural communities.

What this means: The swift prosecution and sentencing, completed within 48 hours of the attack, reflects how Mauritian district courts handle open-and-shut assault cases where the accused is caught at the scene and the victim provides a clear account. A conviction for grievous harm under Mauritian law can carry a custodial sentence, and the court in this instance imposed the full seven-month term.

Source: ION News