By Linny Folau
Taulanga Nonu was jailed for five and a half years for serious housebreaking, theft and serious arson of the Teta Tours Building in the Nuku'alofa Central Business District. His co-accused, Molitoni Moimoi was sentenced to three years and two months in jail.
The fire was reported to Police in the early morning hours of Sunday, 12 November last year. Prosecution confirmed that the housebreaking and theft were committed at the Professional Trade Store, which was located in the Teta Tours Building that was set on fire.
Lord Chief Justice Bishop sentenced the pair on 25 November in the Supreme Court Nuku’alofa.
The accused Nonu pleaded guilty to serious housebreaking, theft and serious arson.
The co-accused Moimoi, pleaded guilty to serious housebreaking and theft, and the Crown withdrew a count of serious arson against him.
The Lord Chief Justice stated that in both cases the offences were premeditated.
“These are serious offences, in your case Nonu, you destroyed property worth no less than TOP$1m and in your case Moimoi you have a very bad record of offending since 2020.”
Although both pleaded guilty, they only did so on the day of the trial and after a jury had been sworn and the trial was about to commence.
Moimoi committed the offences while he was subject to a fully suspended sentence and additionally was committed while he was on bail.
“There is very little it can be said in mitigation in the case of either of you and the time has now come for the full force of the law to take its course.”
Serious arson
The Lord Chief Justice stated that for Nonu serious arson is always a very serious offence both because of the risk to human life and the financial consequences of the destruction of property, which happened here.
In total, the accused was sentenced to seven years imprisonment but with the last 18 months imprisonment suspended on conditions.
For the avoidance of doubt , the accused will serve 5 ½ years in custody and the remaining 18 months suspended on conditions. ordered the Lord Chief Justice.
Two other suspended sentences were activated but ordered to be served concurrent (together) to the above sentence.
“I note these previous convictions were not disclosed by the Prosecution and was discovered from the Pre-Sentence Report received from the Probation Office,” said the judge.
Nonu's sentence was backdated to 14 October this year when he was first remanded in custody for this case.
Housebreaking and theft
“As for Moimoi, he pleaded guilty to serious housebreaking and theft. However, he pleaded not guilty to the serious arson charge, which was eventually withdrawn by the Prosecution.
“Again, this offence was premeditated, it was committed not only whilst he was subject to a suspended sentence but at a time when he was also on bail,” he said.
“Taking those matters into account together with your deplorable history of previous offending despite your young age, I consider it necessary to teach you a lesson and impose a sentence on Count 1 and 2 of three years imprisonment each, less 12 months for your early guilty plea to be served concurrently to each other.” This meant two years for the two offences of this case.
He also pleaded guilty to being in possession of ammunition without a license, namely six bullets.
"It is in the public interest to impose a strict control on the possession of firearms and ammunition and the courts will always regard any breach as serious."
He was then sentenced to 12 months imprisonment to be served consecutively to the charges of this case. In addition, a two months suspended sentence was activated to be served consecutively resulting in the total of three years and two months imprisonment.
