By Linny Folau
A 17-year-old defendant, Sekope Tavo, has been sentenced to a fully suspended term of imprisonment after pleading guilty to serious bodily harm and a separate cannabis possession charge in the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa.
Justice Tupou delivered the sentence on 20 April, following the defendant’s guilty plea in February to one count of serious bodily harm. The charge arose from an incident on 24 August 2024, when Tavo stabbed ‘Isileli Taholo in the abdomen with a knife.
The court heard that in the early hours of 23 August 2024, the complainant had been drinking alcohol with friends in Matahau when he learned of an earlier altercation involving the defendant. When the defendant later joined the group, the complainant punched him. The defendant left and returned with friends, carrying a small knife.
While the complainant was speaking to one of the defendant’s associates and preparing to apologise, he was punched in the face, lost consciousness, and fell to the ground. The defendant then stabbed him in the abdomen. The complainant later regained consciousness and sought medical treatment, where it was confirmed he had suffered a penetrating abdominal wound requiring surgery.
The defendant was later arrested, cooperated with police, and admitted the offending. He stated that he stabbed the complainant after his friend had knocked him unconscious.
In a separate incident on 1 December 2025, police stopped a vehicle associated with the defendant while a bench warrant was outstanding for his arrest after he failed to attend a committal hearing. During the stop, police seized a package containing leaves later confirmed by forensic testing to be 1.50 grams of cannabis. The defendant admitted ownership of the substance and stated he had been using cannabis for approximately five years. A smoking device was also found in the vehicle, which he denied knowledge of.
The Crown submitted several aggravating factors in relation to the serious bodily harm charge, including the severity of the injuries, use of a weapon, premeditation, involvement of others, and the attack on an unconscious victim. Mitigating factors included the defendant’s early guilty plea, youth, lack of prior convictions, and cooperation with police.
The court noted that the complainant made a full recovery and had accepted the defendant’s apology.
Justice Tupou stated that offences involving knives require strong denunciation, particularly in the context of alcohol-fuelled violence among young people. The court also noted that the defendant had been under the legal drinking age and consuming alcohol in a public place at the time of the incident.
A starting point of three years and six months’ imprisonment was adopted, reduced by 12 months for mitigating factors, resulting in a sentence of two years and six months. An additional two months was imposed for the cannabis offence, bringing the total sentence to two years and eight months’ imprisonment.
However, the court determined that the defendant’s youth, remorse, reconciliation with the complainant, and prospects for rehabilitation justified a fully suspended sentence. The judge emphasised that the decision was based on the specific circumstances of the case.
The suspension is subject to conditions, including that the defendant must not commit further offences, must abstain from alcohol and drugs, avoid associating with offenders or drug users, attend an alcohol abuse programme, and complete 80 hours of community service.
The court warned that failure to comply with these conditions could result in the defendant being required to serve the sentence in prison.
