“He was sitting on her legs and was stabbing her with a knife harshly and with all his strength.”

The first and prime prosecution witness in the murder trial of Timoci Lolohea revealed this in the Suva High Court today as she recalled the morning of 20th March last year.

Rasha Ali told the court that Lolohea's defacto partner was her son's babysitter at the Nasilivata Street home in Nadera.

Ali told the court that Lolohea struck his defacto partner with a knife after punching her.

She says the woman was fighting back and in the struggle both fell from the porch of the house to the compound where Lolohea sat on top of the victim and stabbed her more than once.

Ali also told the court that she then saw Lolohea walking back to the porch with just the handle of the knife. She stated that Lolohea opened his black bag and took out another knife and he looked very angry and in a state of rage.

Ali says the woman managed to get up and dragged herself to the gate where Lolohea followed her and started to stab her again.

Ali told the court that Lolohea’s defacto partner was yelling in pain.

She says Lolohea later came back to the porch, took his bag and took off in his car.

56 year old Timoci Lolohea is charged with a count of murder and it is alleged that he killed his 22 year old defacto partner by stabbing her with two knives.

The alleged incident took place on 20th March last year at Nasilivata Street in Nadera.

According to the agreed facts put before the court, Lolohea was legally married and got separated about four years ago.

He was in a defacto relationship with his niece and they have a daughter together.

According to the agreed facts, Lolohea and his defacto partner started having problems and he was not happy with the fact that his defacto partner had moved out of their flat.

It was also put before the court that Lolohea started searching for his defacto partner.

According to the agreed facts, Lolohea had surrendered to the Lami Police Station on 20th March 2017 and told the officers that he had killed the deceased.

The trial will continue in the Suva High Court tomorrow.