Jury finds teen not guilty of manslaughter [1]
Thursday, June 2, 2005 - 17:00. Updated on Friday, May 9, 2014 - 13:01.
Satini Tomu Napa‘a (15) was found not guilty on charges of manslaughter and of inflicting a grievous bodily harm, by a jury at the Nuku‘alofa Supreme Court this morning, June 2.
Napa...a was charged on the two counts, following the death of Konggrid Phoput at Vaiola Hospital, Nuku'alofa, on April 11, 2004, following an incident at Fua'amotu.
A seven-member jury was told that Napa...a punched the deceased on the face after he told Satini on the road at Fua'amotu that he wanted to perform a sinful act on him. Phoput died from a serious injury to his head and brain when he fell on the ground.
The four-day jury trial was presided over by the Chief Justice Robin Webster. The
Legal Counsel for the Crown was Sione Sisifa, and Siosifa Tu'utafaiva represented Napa...a.