Suspended sentence for wife who ran over husband [1]
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 - 21:58. Updated on Thursday, January 15, 2015 - 09:11.
Sau’iluma Guttenbeil, who was found guilty of manslaughter for the death of her husband whom she ran over with her vehicle in Neiafu in 2012, has received a suspended sentence.
Mr Justice Cato sentenced the 38-year-old mother of seven to two-years nine months imprisonment, which was fully suspended upon conditions on December 12, 2014 at the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court.
Sau’iluma is placed on a 12-months probation to live where directed by the Probation Officer.
The court ordered she is not to commit any further offences punishable by imprisonment for the period off her suspension. She is required to carry out 160 hours of community work while attending the Salvation Army anger management program.
The accused was charged with murder (in the alternative manslaughter) of Michael Guttenbeil, a quarry manager, who died on October 10, 2012.
After a trial on October 6-15 last year, the judge acquitted her of the murder charge but found her guilty of manslaughter.
The judge found that she had ran over her husband with her motor vehicle to stop a fight between him and a Tongan man, Sosefo ‘Otutaha. She also ran over and seriously injured her brother-in-law, Albert Brian Guttenbeil, who was also involved in the confrontation with Sosefo.
Michael died after suffering severe internal bleeding into the chest, attributable to broken ribs and injury to the arteries of the heart.