By Linny Folau
Siaosi Helu (37) caused serious bodily harm to Tupou Fotu’aika (65) when he hit him on the head using a machete at his home in Kolofo'ou. A ruling in the Fasi Magistrate’s Court on 29 April found him guilty of the offence committed in 2022.
Magistrate Kaufusi found him guilty after a trial. He is expected to be sentenced on a date to be confirmed.
The Prosecution told the court that on 14 September 2022, the accused with Tevita Soakai, Taulaki Takapu and another person went to the complainant’s house in Kolofo'ou, to help a couple move out of their rental accommodation. When they arrived, the complainant was talking with another person outside his house. He asked the three men where they were going. The complainant told them that he was the owner of the property, but the accused told him that he did not care about that. The complainant swore at the accused telling them to leave, and the accused got angry and started to lunge at the complainant, which ensued the assault. The complainant was taken to the hospital with a scalp laceration due to assault.
The Magistrate in his ruling stated that it was alleged that the complainant had gone in the house and got a machete to intimidate and scare them off. He was then alleged to have struck the defendant on the side on his arm with the machete. The defendant in return punched him and he fell down loosing his grip of the machete.
The complainant told the court that he remembered what happened, when he was punched by the accused and fell to the ground, and when he tried to get up, he saw him get the machete and hit him on the head before he walked away with it. The doctor stated that the wound was on the side and extended from the front to the back around five to six cm. There was not much blood loss and the wound was stitched up and the complainant was released from hospital.
The Magistrate stated that after reviewing the evidence he found that the accused indeed punched the complainant and he fell down letting go the machete. It was also clear from the complainant’s evidence, that he remembered what happened and that the accused punched him and he fell to the ground, and when he tried to get up he hit him on the head with the machete, he stated. This was supported by the doctor’s evidence. He then ruled from to the evidence given in the lower court there was sufficient evidence and convicted defendant guilty of the offence.
