Drugs dealer sentenced to over 5 years jail [1]
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 - 21:14. Updated on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 - 21:15.
Nelson Siulangapo (35) who pleaded guilty to five different charges, including possession of the illicit drugs methamphetamine and cannabis, drugs utensils, an unlicensed .22 rifle and unlicensed ammunition, was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment.
He was sentenced to five years and three months imprisonment by Lord Chief Justice Whitten KC in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on 28 July.
The court was told that on 10 January 2023, Police received information that the Defendant was selling drugs from his vehicle. He was stopped while driving from Pelehake to Holonga. He was armed when he was arrested.
He volunteered to police that there was cannabis and methamphetamine in a bag on the front seat of his vehicle, which belonged to him. The police stated that the seizures included various packs of methamphetamine and cannabis, empty packs, a straw, lighters and a substantial quantity of cash.
During their search of various compartments within the vehicle, police found more methamphetamine and cannabis, three mobile phones, test tubes, a set of weighing scales, empty packs of various sizes, two passports in the name of the Defendant and a number of .22 calibre bullets.
On the back seat of the vehicle, police also found a .22 rifle with a fully loaded magazine of 15 rounds, and a packet in a compartment beside the steering wheel containing 51 rounds of 9 mm ammunition and five rounds of .38 calibre ammunition.
The Defendant admitted that the rifle and ammunition belonged to him and that he did not have a license for them.
The police then searched the Defendant’s residence where they found more cannabis, methamphetamine, empty packs, ammunition, broken test tubes and another weighing scale. The Defendant admitted to owning all those items.
In total, police seized 123.50 grams of methamphetamine, 3.65 grams of cannabis, $5,920 pa'anga and NZD$5. After the search, the Defendant did not co-operate further when interviewed.
Previous convictions
The defendant was previously convicted in 2009 for common assault, for which he was fined, and indecent assault, for which he was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment, fully suspended for 3 years.
The court was told that the Defendant is the sixth of 10 siblings who grew up in a modest household. He dropped out of high school to help his father with farming and taking care of their plantation. He is now married to a government teacher with children age 9-13 years and they live at Tatakamotonga.
“The current Town Officer said that the Defendant had been observed for a long time by neighbours complaining about too many vehicles queuing at the Defendant’s house late at night. The community rumours and suspicions about him distributing drugs have all turned out to be true.”
The Judge said that the presence of the other drug related paraphernalia and the loaded firearm in the Defendant’s vehicle “are all consistent with him actually being involved in the supply of illicit drugs. I therefore consider the Defendant’s role or level of culpability to be between significant and leading.”
“For the Defendant’s early guilty pleas and lack of any previous drug related convictions, I reduce those starting points to the following sentences:
- count 1 – 5 years and 3 months (63 months);
- count 2 – 2 months;
- count 3 – 12 months;
- count 4 – 20 months;
- count 5 – 20 months.
The sentences for counts 2 to 5 are to be served concurrently with the sentence for count 1, meaning that the defendant will serve 63 months of imprisonment (five years and three months) on five counts.
The final 15 months of the sentence are to be suspended for a period of two years from the date the Defendant is released from prison but with conditions.
The drugs and utensils will be destroyed.