Young mother died after stabbing, court told [1]
Wednesday, September 9, 2009 - 18:24. Updated on Friday, August 22, 2014 - 11:07.
A man accused of murdering 22-year-old mother of three, Fononga Taufa, later confessed to police that he stabbed his wife in a drunken rage at her parents' Vaini home on February 21, the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court was told today.
The accused Katei Taufa (31) of Longoteme, pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering his wife.
On the third day of the jury trial today, a Crown witness, Police Corporal Fuavai, read out the police record of interview and confession conducted two days after the incident, where the accused stated, "I stabbed my wife with a kitchen knife and she fell down and I saw blood on the floor".
Collapsed
Yesterday, September 8, the first witness for the Crown, 'Akosita Kaho, mother of the deceased, said that she saw her daughter collapse bleeding to the living room floor, after an argument with the accused.
'Akosita told the court that she had just left the living room and went outside, and in less than a minute heard screams coming from the main house. She ran into the living room and saw her daughter collapsing onto the floor and Katei Taufa, the accused was standing there.
The witness was shown pictures of her home in which she confirmed her daughter's bloodstain on the floor and on the living room wall.
The accused was alleged to have been drunk and in an argument with his wife when he stabbed her twice with a knife. It is also alleged that the accused fled the scene of the crime immediately after stabbing his wife, but was arrested by police later in the day. The victim was rushed to Vaiola Hospital but she died the same day.
Confessed to police
The police witness told the court today that the accused had confessed to stabbing his wife with a kitchen knife in a drunken rage after she swore at him and told him to leave, according to a Police Record of Interview conducted on February 24.
In the record of interview the accused also stated, " I am truly remorseful and I did not expect that she would die and this would happen to my wife". The accused had told police he was angry because he asked her where she was that particular afternoon and she swore at him and told him to get out and leave the house. He revealed he got the knife from the kitchen and after stabbing her, he saw she was hurt and he was scared. The accused fled the scene of the crime but was later arrested by police.
Corporal Fuavai told the court the police found the kitchen knife in the living room of the house at Vaini, but the blade had already been detached from the wooden handle.
The accused was shown the knife during his interview and he confirmed it to be the knife used to stab his wife. The detached knife was also shown in court this morning.
More witnesses are expected to give evidence in the jury trial, which will continue until the end of this week.
The Crown Prosecutor is Solicitor General 'Aminiasi Kefu. and Sifa Tu'utafaiva represents the accused.