Violent repeat offender sentenced [1]
Friday, September 24, 2021 - 18:13. Updated on Friday, September 24, 2021 - 18:13.
Sione Pouono (21) was sentenced to 32 and a half-months imprisonment for serious causing bodily harm, when he beat up the driver who gave him a lift, when he was hitch-hiking in Lapaha.
Hon Mr Justice Cooper sentenced him at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court, after he pleaded guilty to the single count last month.
Prosecution's case was on November 8, 2020 at around 11:00pm, the defendant was hitch-hiking from Lapaha when the complainant, Viliami 'Esei Moala drove past and gave him a lift, agreeing to drop him at the tax allotment that the complainant’s family owned.
The judge said, they made their way there and an arrangement was made for the defendant’s parents to come and fetch him.
When the defendant's parents arrived it was so close to the midnight curfew so they all slept in their respective vehicles. The defendant was with the complainant in his vehicle.
However, on the next morning, inexplicably, the defendant beat up the complainant who was alsleep, on the head with a hammer. He knocked him out then striking him again when he regained consciousness.
The defendant also threatened the complainant that he would throw him in the sea. The complainant then escaped and ran to the defendant’s parent's car and they took him to hospital, said the judge.
The complainant was examined and found to have sustained multiple lacerations to the back of his neck but no fractures.
"While, the complainant has made a full recovery. The defendant had a very unstable start in life being introduced to class A drugs in his home environment and this led to his behaviour deteriorating into a cycle of criminality." The judge said, the accused faced proceedings for methamphetamine and cannabis possession and was granted bail.
Four days later on November 7, 2020 he got into a drunken fight whereby he armed himself, attacked his victim to his face and with that knife cutting his nose and then severing the victim's right index finger.
The hitch-hiking attack case it was committed the very next day on November 8, 2020.
“The defendant who was on bail at this time would not explain to the probation officer why he had attacked the victim and prevaricated when asked to justify his actions.”
"Looking at the overall pattern of offending and his background, family circumstances and his decline into drink and drug use, it is a stark fact that the hammer attack on November 8 last year was part of the deteriorating life he was leading at this time," said the judge.
He sentenced the offender to 32 and a half-months imprisonment.
Meanwhile, this sentence will be served concurrently with his previous sentence of five years imprisonment, imposed in June this year by Lord Chief Justice Whitten QC.
The last two-years of that sentence was suspended on conditions.