Murder accused admits his violently bad temper [1]
Thursday, February 21, 2008 - 19:50. Updated on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 - 14:32.
A young man, standing trial for murder, admitted in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court today that he shouted to the man he allegedly killed that he would beat him to death.
Toluhama 'Ahotau is alleged to have murdered his co-worker Napoleone Hurrell on the night of December 3, 2005 during a confrontation where he struck him with a metal bar at the Vete Poultry Co. Ltd at Puke, near Nuku'alofa.
In his testimony he told Crown Prosecutor 'Aminiasi Kefu in examination that he did shout at the deceased that he would beat him to death because he was angry.
He also said he was angry with Napoleone for two things, firstly that he disobeyed him by not going home after their drink-up and that he verbally abused him with curses.
The defendant also admitted that although he had much to drink that night he was still capable of controlling himself, how he walked and he was still in communication with his other co-workers.
He said that the accused said three things to him, which included curses that made him angry. At first he went and got a broom handle to attack him but others held him back and so he continued drinking.
The accused also confirmed that his intention at that time was to assault Napoleone and on the second time around of the confrontation he was so angry that he went and got a black metal bar and hit the deceased on the head.
He told the court that his intention was to hit Napoleone on the shoulder but he missed and instead struck him on the forehead.
When asked by the Crown Prosecutor of his intention, the accused confirmed that his intention was to assault Napoleone and injure him.
Bad tempered
The Crown Prosecutor referred to previous incidences that involved the accused attacking other unarmed people with either a stick or metal.
The accused confirmed that he was a bad tempered man who resorted to violence and attacking others.
The Prosecutor again put to the accused why he did not ignore such verbal remarks from Napoleone, he answered that he was angry because he was teasing him.
The jury trial, which began on Monday, is expected to finish tomorrow at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.