Suspended sentence for illicit drugs bust in Fatai [1]
Thursday, November 26, 2020 - 17:10. Updated on Thursday, November 26, 2020 - 17:17.
Finau Pomale (47) was sentenced to eight-months imprisonment for possession o 0.6 grams of methamphetamine and 8.40 grams of cannabis at Fatai this year.
Justice Langi sentenced the accused on November 24, after he pleaded guilty to both counts at the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court.
The Court heard on January 31 this year, at around I0:00pm, police received information of drug dealings going on at the accused's home at Fatai.
They acted on that information and went to the accused's residence where they found him with two other persons. They searched the accused and found nine packets of cannabis in the pocket of his pants. A packet of methamphetamine was also found in the accused’s phone cover. He was then arrested.
The methamphetamine weighed 0.06 grams and the cannabis weighed a total of 8.40 grams.
The Crown submitted the only aggravating factors were the fact that possession of Class A drug is a serious offence and that drug offences are a problem here in Tonga.
They submitted mitigating factors, included being a first-time drug offender, his early guilty plea and the fact that he has been crime free for 26-years. His only previous conviction was for willful damage to property in 1994.
Pomale earns a living through farming and fishing.
In relation to the offending, the accused told the court, that he does not deal in drugs but he does use illicit drugs as a sedative for working in the bush. He was remorseful and apologized for his unlawful actions.
The judge said, the accused said he had learned his lesson and would strive to be a better person and do something more useful with his life.
“It is no secret that there is currently a war illicit drugs in our small island Kingdom,” she said.
“The possession of methamphetamine or ice as it is more commonly known is becoming increasingly common in Tonga and has wreaked havoc in many overseas communities.
“The unequivocal message that must be sent out to the youths and the people of this community is that if you involve yourself in drug offending you will receive an imprisonment term as a general rule and the only question for the judge is how long is appropriate, she said.
She then sentenced the accused to eight-months imprisonment, which was fully suspended on conditions that he is placed on probation, must carry out 70-hours community work.