A 31-year-old Yaqona farmer of Nadi has been sentenced to seven years and nine months imprisonment for raping his sister in law.

The court was told that he raped the woman on two occasions in 2011.

The woman told the court that the first incident happened when she was digging the ground to look for baits to go fishing and this is when the man came from behind, covered her mouth and raped her.

The second incident occurred when the woman was going to the cassava patch.

The woman told her husband about the incidents but he decided not to report that matter to the police as he felt sorry for his brother.

The woman later reported the matter to the police when the farmer tried to remove her clothes when she was sleeping.

A non parole period of six years has been set by the Lautoka High Court.