Meth delivery accused gets suspended sentence [1]
Thursday, November 26, 2020 - 17:22
Penisimani Angilau was sentenced to nine-months imprisonment, which was fully suspended for possession of 0.75 grams of methamphetamine seized at Tokomololo.
Justice Langi sentenced him on November 24, at the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court. This was after he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty, in September this year.
The Court heard on November 12, 2019 at around 7:00pm, a Drugs Enforcement Taskforce operation was carried out at a home in Tokomololo.
After searching the residence, some of the police officers went to the front of the home and stood by the roadside. One of the town's community police volunteers came and talked to the police and gave them information regarding the people and vehicles he would see coming to this home.
While they were talking, the accused drove his vehicle towards the home the police had targeted.
The community police volunteer then informed the police that the accused's vehicle was a constant visitor to the home.
The judge said, acting on that information, police stopped the accused and informed him that they would conduct a search without a warrant of his vehicle.
They searched the vehicle and found one pack of methamphetamine in the boot of the car. The pack was lodged inside a shoe, underneath the insole padding.
The Crown submitted the only aggravating factors in this case was the fact that possession of a Class A drug, is a serious offence and the accused actions were premeditated.
Mitigating factors were that he was a first-time drug offender, had pleaded guilty, a minimal number of illicit drugs was seized and his cooperation with police.
Deportation
The accused also informed the judge that he was born in Tonga but left for the United States in 1969, where he lived up until he was deported to Tonga in 2010.
He said that when he returned to Tonga he did not have any relatives to live with and eventually went to live at Veitongo on his father's land.
In relation to the offending, he said that a friend of his moved in with him, who is a supplier of illicit drugs. His friend had asked him to deliver some of the drugs for him, which consequently led to his arrest.
The accused also insisted that he does not use drugs but that his only wrong move was agreeing to deliver the drugs for his friend.
“He informed me that since this offending, he has been unable to find a place to stay. He is now homeless and lives in his car. His car has also broken down and is currently at the mechanic to be fixed and that he continues to live inside the car, while it is being fixed,” said the judge.
In addition, he told the Court that he had now distanced himself from friends, who have negatively influenced his life and was looking for an honest job, determined to live a life free of crime.
The judge then sentenced the accused to nine-months imprisonment.
This was fully suspended on conditions that he does not to commit any further offences punishable by imprisonment for two-years, must complete the Salvation Army Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Program/Life Skills Course and carry out 70-hours of community work.