Life imprisonment for murderer [1]
Monday, July 28, 2014 - 21:21. Updated on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - 10:24.
Kilifi Nau (55) was sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Cato at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on 17 July, for murdering a 25-year-old woman in December 2012.
Kilifi was on a jury trial from July 7-17 for murdering Haitelenisia Gatehouse from the village of Pea, with whom he was in a de facto relaionship.
Justice Cato sentenced Kilifi to life imprisonment at Hu’atolitoli Prison, effective immediately.
However, Justice Cato said that if Kilifi underwent courses on alcohol, abuse of women, anger management and behaved himself in prison, he may be considered for parole or released on license after serving around 15-years.
Assault
The Crown Prosecutor Sione Sisifa told the court that the accused and victim began a de-facto relationship in 2011 before he ended it.
However, on the morning of December 12, 2012 they met and drank alcohol, firstly at a sea cucumber processing place in 'Umusi. In the evening they went to another residence at Houmakelikao and continued drinking alcohol until 2:00am in the morning of 13 December.
He said when they left that residence to return to the place at 'Umusi, the accused repeatedly assaulted the victim, which then continued on at the sea cucumber processing place at 'Umusi. He had repeatedly punched her on the face and other parts of her body, including kicking and stomping on her stomach.
They then fell asleep and when the accused woke up around 7:00am he found her to be dead. He put her into his car and drove to a police officer's home at Houmakelikao and sought assistance by getting the officer to drive the car to Central Police Station. She was taken from the station to Vaiola Hospital where she was confirmed dead upon arrival, the court heard.
A report from the post-mortem examination that she had sustained fractured right ribs and sternum.
"The fractured ribs and sternum caused serious damages to her internal organs causing multiple lacerations to her chest muscle, liver and kidneys. The lacerations also caused internal bleeding. It was the pathologist's opinion that these serious injuries were caused by multiple and repeated assault inflicted on the deceased using excessive force", said the prosecutor.
The accused in two previous occasions had been convicted in the Magistrate's Court for assaulting the victim. He was represented by 'Ofa Pouono.
It is understood that the most recent life imprisonment sentence in Tonga was in 2011.