Siuta Taufa (25) was sentenced to four-years six-months imprisonment for reckless driving causing the death of his 20-year-old male passenger at Malapo in 2021.

Hon. Justice P. Tupou KC sentenced him on 21 October on two counts of reckless driving causing the death of Sione Uikilifi Lapu'aho and possession of 0.08 grams of methamphetamine.

On the second day of the trial the defendant pleaded guilty to possession, and the trial proceeded on the charge of reckless driving causing death.

On 17 December 2021, he was found guilty of reckless driving causing death.

The fatal accident occurred on 3 July, 2021 at the fork of Taufa'ahau Road and Tuku'aho Road in Malapo.

The defendant from Vaini had been in town and had consumed six cans of Woodstock as well as having taken methamphetamine three times.

At around 11:30pm he had stopped at a shop at Vaini, where the victim and his mother were shopping. The 20-year-old victim, also from Vaini, got in the defendant's car and they drove to Tatakamotonga.

The judge said there they bought a bottle of alcohol and were mixing and consuming the alcohol, while driving back to Vaini on Taufa'ahau Road.

It was close to the mid-night curfew and the defendant was driving very fast" at 80-100km/h to get home on time. They were travelling back on the left side of Taufa'ahau Rd, and when they got to the end of Malapo and the fork, the defendant lost control of the car, swerving to the opposite side of the road and skidding beyond to hit a power pole. The car bounced off the power pole and landed about 2 metres from it.

The impact was on the left side of the car where the victim was sitting on the passenger seat.

The judge said the two were found unconscious in the car by a prison warden who head heard the sound of the crash and came to investigate.

Police were called and both men were taken to Vaiola Hospital. The victim died in the early hours of the next morning, after suffering severe internal head injury, multiple fractured ribs and left clavicle and a punctured lung, said the judge.

The Crown submitted the aggravating factors were: the loss of the victim's life, the consumption of alcohol and drugs before and while driving back from Tatakamotonga to Vaini, the excessive speeding of 80-100kmp; the presence of two packets of methamphetamine and other related items in the car, among others.

He was sentenced to four-years six-months' imprisonment but with the final six-months suspended on conditions.

“The defendant is to receive all reasonably necessary and available medical care for shortness of breath and aching joints whilst in prison and was exempted from hard labour whilst the said conditions persist,” said the judge.