By Linny Folau
Taniela Vaka (42) was sentenced to 12 years and 10 months imprisonment to charges including armed robberies committed against three victims in two separate incidents, on Tongatapu.
Justice Cooper sentenced him on 20 November at the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa.
He stated that the first armed robbery was committed on 20 November 2023 when the victim was walking to his car, having bought groceries from a store in Kolofo’ou. He got into his vehicle.
The accused got into the front passenger seat, produced a knife (no further detail was made available) and instructed the victim to drive. He was directed by the accused to drive to ‘Anana. As he drove, at knife point, he took an opportunity to flee and jumped out of the car.
“The victim went to the police and reported the loss of his car, worth approximately $20,000 and the groceries and cash, worth about $5,782. Albeit that only $50.00 was made up in cash.”
The accused was arrested that same day. He was interviewed on 4 December 2023 and admitted the offences.
“Extraordinarily, it appears he was then released on bail. For a man who had just admitted an armed robbery that appears to raise some serious questions,” said the judge.
The judge stated the other armed robbery was on 23 January 2024, when the victims, a mother and her 27-year-old daughter, who were in their car, at their gate, awaiting the husband and father of their family to lock the front gate and get in their car to join them.
Instead, Mr. Vaka, armed with a knife got into the rear seat and at knife point commanded the two women to drive. He took a handbag belonging to one of the victims and stole cash from it, TOP$1,000 and NZ$200. He then got out of the vehicle, but not before threatening both ladies that he would return to find them at their home if they reported this offence to the police.
“A member of the public who knows Mr. Vaka saw the women being threatened in their car with a knife and raised the alarm. The police chased him but he hid. He evaded them initially. The Police attended the victims and recovered the knife from the car,” the judge stated.
The judge also noted that no details as to this weapon had been provided, either for this offence or the last, and no circumstances were provided to explain Mr. Vaka’s arrest.
On 12 June 2024, the accused appeared before the Supreme Court and pleaded guilty to the two allegation of armed robbery.
The judge noted there was a third like offence Mr. Vaka faced, but Crown could not proceed as the witness had returned to her home country and was not contactable. Moreover, he had other charges for drugs offences, which he pleaded guilty to in the Magistrate’s Court. This drugs offence covered a diverse summary of matters that were all before the Magistrates’ court in which he pleaded guilty to, he stated.
“I have not been provided with any details of these offences save what the charge was and the date of commission. The offences included possession 0.52 grams methamphetamine and a utensil, a test tube, committed 20 November 2023. While, others was for housebreaking and theft of money or goods to the value of $1,800 committed on 1 December 2023. He was also in possession of 0.19 grams methamphetamine committed on 24 January 2024,” he stated.
High risk
Meanwhile, the accused is a repeat offender and prisoner, with convictions that had included armed robbery
He was sentenced for armed robbery on 21 September, 2012 to three and a half years with sentence to take into account time served on remand on this charge. Other charges were housebreaking and robberies.
At the same time on 9 November, 2012 he was sentenced to an overall sentence of seven and half years, on a totality basis not considered to be excessive. In addition, he had current cases in the Magistrates Court as shown. He also had a previous conviction for kidnapping and had been sentenced to four years imprisonment in New Zealand.
Deportee
Married with children, he was deported from New Zealand after committing a crime related to murder. The accused’s family lives in Australia with his parents. He was assessed as “high risk” of re-offending because he committed similar offending in his previous conviction.
Aggravating features were his possession of a deadly weapon, victim targeted through knowledge while working in the area, kidnapping the victims and two victims taken by force on one occasion. The offence was also committed on bail for offence. Robbery targeting women as vulnerable victims, he stated.
The judge stated the armed robbery of the mother and daughter must be the head count because there were two victims, both women and, as such, both vulnerable. He set an eight and a half years starting point, which he increased to nine and a half years because Mr. Vaka was on police bail at the time for a like offence.
“That I further increase to 10 and a half years because there were two victims. That is again increased to 11 and a half years because of the element of kidnap of both women, that was involved in the commission of the offence. For his early guilty plea, I reduce that to eight and a half years. As for the other armed robbery, he set a starting point of eight and a half years, he increased to nine and a half years to reflect the kidnapping that was part of the commission of the armed robbery in this case, he ruled.
“Regrettably Mr. Vaka has committed offences of this kind time and again. He indulged in drug use and, I have no doubt, then robbed and stole to fund that habit. He did not care the harm and fear he caused. He clearly is a high risk of re-offending and to society at large. He must serve his full term and no part can be suspended. His sentence will be back dated to his first remand, 21 May 2024.”
He was then sentenced to 12 years and 10 months’ imprisonment.
