‘Alaponi Vaomotou (46) was sentenced to three-years nine-months imprisonment for causing serious bodily harm, when he injured a 54-year-old man on the arm with a machete, at Fou'i. 

On 12 May, Hon. Mr Justice Cooper sentenced him and backdated it to 24 April this year, when he was detained in police custody. This was after he was convicted in trial at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa.

The judge said the offending was on 4 April 2022, when the defendant (Vaomotou) was riding his motorcycle to the village on western Tongatapu.

The victim (Kaumavae) who is the defendant's neighbour, came from his property to Vaomotou, after he had arrived and parked his motorcycle. 

Mr. Kaumavae had been on his verandah discussing with his site manager and team their work, but was angered by the noise the defendant had been making with his motorbike; he felt it was too loud  and that this had been a longstanding problem.

Although unarmed and on his own, as Mr Kaumavae readily conceded at trial, he was aggravated by the defendant to the  point where he was  going to physically confront him, said the judge. 

"The exchange between the two men was short lived. Mr. Vaomotou had his daughter with him who was aged 11-years old at the time. She was stood a litle in front of him and consequently, Mr. Kaumavae did not see the machete the other was holding as the young girl obstructing his view.

“Quickly angered by Mr. Kaumavae's presence, Mr. Vaomotou swung the machete at the victim, who put up his arm to protect himself and was injured."

Mr. Kaumavae reported the matter to the police, after he went to Vaiola Hospital. He was treated by a doctor for a superficial laceration, no more than 5mm deep to the proximal (outside) aspect of his left arm.

There were no details as to how long the wound was, but it was significant enough to cause reduced mobility to that limb as he recuperated, said the judge.

“The considerations advanced were whether the defendant was young, of previous good character, or passed long time without offending; whether he would take the opportunity to rehabilitate,” he said.

"In this case, Mr. Vaomotou used a machete to attack his neighbour very shortly, after being convicted of another offence of assault using a machete. I consider Mr Vaomotou poses a real danger to the public, consequently none of his sentence will be suspended."

This was his second conviction for a machete attack with the first being in 2021.

The defendant was then sentenced to three-years nine-months imprisonment, no suspension.