By Linny Folau

Sitiveni ‘Esi Muli (17) charged with the stabbing murders of Mr Feng Sheng Pei and Mrs Su Jie Wen, denied that he had the intention to commit the murders, when cross-examined by the Crown Prosecutor, at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa today.

The victims were found with multiple stab wounds at a vegetable plantation in February last year.

The trial before Hon Mr Justice Cato and a jury continued in its second week, and this afternoon defence counsel Sifa Tu'utafaiva called the accused to give evidence. This was after the Crown Prosecutor 'Aminiasi Kefu completed calling five witnesses.

The accused, Muli from Matafonua, in responding to questions by his counsel said on the morning of February 25, 2018 he and Sami Kaho Jr. had intended to go to Fua’amotu, so they planned to steal the victims' vehicle.

He knew the couple were at the plantation in Matafonua on this Sunday because he had worked for them before.

The accused admitted that he had, in fact, injured the couple when he hit them on the head with the machete and stabbed them with scissors, more than once during a struggle. The accused claimed the struggle was started by Mr Pei, who had first hit him sideways on the arm with the flat side of a machete. This was because Mr Pei was angry that they had smoked his cigarettes, when Mr Pei returned to his van and discovered the accused was sitting on the side where the sliding door was open.

The court then heard that during the struggle with Mr Pei over the machete, the accused had used the scissors, which he got from the vehicle, and stabbed the top of the back of his head more than once.

His counsel asked why he stabbed Mr Pei with the scissors.

The accused answered that he felt too tired and if he did not stab him, Mr Pei would kill him.

The accused then said during this struggle, Mrs Wen ran over and jumped on his back and he stabbed her wildly backwards with the scissors, while he was still struggling with Mr Pei over the machete.

He then claimed that he had called for Kaho to help and Kaho came held Mrs Wen and then she let go of his neck.

As the struggle continued, Mr Pei let go of machete and the accused got hold it. He said that he saw Mrs Wen again run towards them and he turned around hit her wildly with the machete, admitting it was more than once on her shoulder up to her head because he felt he was going to faint.

He then turned around and continued to do the same to Mr Pei because he had not let him go.

When Mr Pei fell down, his mobile fell out together with cash and the accused took it and fled with Kaho in the vehicle.

Cross-examination

The Prosecutor in his cross-examination put to the accused, that in his evidence he said he did not have the intention to murder the couple.

The accused said, yes. 

“But you accept that you used the machete and scissors to kill them?”

The accused answered, yes.

“I put to you that the evidence you have given in court is not the truth.”

The accused denied this as false.

The Prosecutor told him that he would refer to photo exhibits of the couple's injuries to show that his statement was a lie.

During the Prosecutor's questions, the accused agreed that it was his idea to steal the couple's vehicle and Kaho had only followed what he said on this day.

However, he denied the Prosecutor’s suggestion that he was already prepared to have physical confrontation and was prepared to injure the couple in order to steal the vehicle. 

The accused will continue his cross-examination tomorrow, January 15 before the closing submissions from counsel.