Jailed offender Siosaia Hungalu (27) was sentenced to three-years imprisonment for the housebreaking and theft of Tongan mats, valued at around $13,900 pa'anga, from a residence in Kolofo’ou.

The defendant, who was already serving a prison sentence for other offences, will serve his sentence on these offences concurrently.

Hon. P. Tupou KC sentenced him on last month at the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa. This was after he pleaded guilty to two counts of serious housebreaking and theft.

The offending was in April 2021, when the defendant entered the house occupied by Tepola Lotu, the complainant, at Kolofo'ou and stole the Tongan mats, including three fala vala, three lokeha, four-ta’ovala putu, one ta'ovala and two kiekie lou'akau.

When the complainant discovered the items were missing, the same month, she filed a complaint with the police. 

The complainant told Prosecution that she was disappointed that a church residence was targeted and that the defendant took advantage of people serving in God's Ministry.

She had also not recovered the stolen property and understood they may never be recovered. 


The defendant's mother also told the probation officer that he was a good boy, until he started to hang out with the wrong crowd. She also said that in visiting him in prison, she's heard his stories of regret and observed a change in him. 


“In addition, he joined the rehabilitation program in custody and sees it as an opportunity to help him become a better person.”

The judge sentenced Hungalu to three-years to be served concurrently with a current three-years sentence that he is serving for other offences.

"To give effect to the totality principle, the head sentence here is to be served concurrently with the 3-year imprisonment sentence imposed by Justice Niu in CR 173,186, 19½021 and the suspension of the last 12-months and conditions imposed in those proceedings are preserved," stated the Judge.