Kapuana ‘Unga was sentenced to three-years imprisonment for seriously causing bodily harm to a victim using a machete, at Ha’alaufuli, Vava’u in 2020.

She struck Viola Loloma on her left arm with a machete, cutting her hand, and seriously damaged her vehicle intentionally by smashing its rear left window with a machete, causing damage of $600.

Hon. Mr Justice Niu sentenced 'Unga on April 30, after she pleaded guilty to the offences at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.

On the night of 20 July 2020 four women came to the house of the accused’s sister 'Alamita. They included the victim and they had been drinking at another house.

They were in the victim’s vehicle and they came to 'Alamita's house so that one of them could take her husband's vehicle, which they saw was parked at 'Alamita's place.

He said a fight the occurred between these four women, 'Alamita and the accused.

Viola Loloma, and one of the women got into Viola's vehicle and drove away. The accused and 'Alamita and two other persons chased after them in another vehicle.

“Twice your vehicle overtook their vehicle to stop them but they escaped and continued and you followed them all the way to the village hall in Ha'alaufuli, where the village police were.

“The accused got out of [the] vehicle and smashed the rear left window of Viola's vehicle with a machete and when Viola came out of her vehicle, she hit her on her left forearm, with the machete causing a deep cut to her hand.”

The accused had previous convictions for theft, assault and illicit drugs, starting from 1994.

The Crown recommended that the accused be given a custodial sentence, because she pursued the victim in this case and cut her hand with a machete causing a 7.5 cm long cut to her hand, which was also deep.

“In addition, the accused chased and pursued the victim all the way from Vete to Ha'alaufuli, she had premeditated the causing of the injury, and to cause it with the machete she was carrying,” said the Crown.

The judge said this offence was causing of serious bodily harm and it was far more serious than her drug offence because she had caused a serious offence to another person.

"What is most serious is that...I also consider that your pursuing vehicle could have caused a tragic accident to her vehicle let alone your own vehicle. There would be deaths and inquiries in all probability. What you and the people who were with you were doing was most irresponsible and reckless that you did not stop to think of the consequences."

He said one of the things, the accused said in mitigation of her sentence was that she was taking care of her mother's mother and of your father's mother, who are in their  80s, and that one of them was only mobile by wheelchair.

The accused was then sentenced to three-years imprisonment, but with final 18-months of that sentence are to be suspended for a period of three-years, on conditions.

She is also to serve 80 hours community service as directed by the probation, during suspension.