A 66-year-old man is on trial in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court charged with attacking his nephew (39) with a machete, while trying to settle a dispute over an unpaid bill at the family bakery at Ma'ufanga on 15 February 2011. 

The accused Patelesio Mafi is charged with one count of grievous bodily harm, with serious bodily harm as an alternative when he hit his nephew, Richard Mafi with a machete at the family Ha'amoko Bakery.

The Crown told the jury-trial that Patelesio was a minor shareholder of the Ha‘amoko Bakery; the major shareholder was his late brother, Sepa Mafi. Richard Mafi is a son of Sepa Mafi.

It said that it was normal practice that Sepa would gift his siblings a $300 weekly allowance.

Prior to 15 February 2011, the accused son bought two meat pies on credit at the bakery so the total cost of the pies was deducted from the accused $300 weekly allowance.

On the morning of February 15, the victim was working at the bakery office when the accused came in and questioned him about the deduction in his allowance. The victim explained that it was for the two meat pies that his son had bought on credit.

The accused told the victim that he was going to beat him up, he hurled insults at him while walking to his vehicle and took out a machete. He came back and yelled at his nephew, threatening to beat him up. He swerved the machete hitting the victim on the shoulder. The victim tried to dodge, but the accused hit him again on the back of his head.

The court was told that the victim noticed a lot of blood before he fell unconscious and was rushed to Vaiola Hospital by an employee. He was taken to the Emergency Ward where he underwent surgery and blood transfusion. According to the doctor’s report the victim sustained deep lacerations to his skull. He was discharged nine-days later and then left to Australia for further treatment.

The jury-trial is before Mr. Justice Charles Cato, with Joan Puloka representing the Crown and ‘Ofa Pouono for the accused.