Deciding against a death penalty, Tonga's Supreme Court today preferred a sentence of life imprisonment for a young man found guilty of murder.

Toluhama 'Ahotau, aged in his early 20s, was sentenced to life imprisonment by Chief Justice Anthony Ford at the Nuku...’alofa Supreme Court early this afternoon.

A jury of three women and four men selected from Nuku'alofa gave their unanimous verdict around noon after deliberating for about an hour in closed chambers.

Chief Justice Anthony Ford told the accused he had been found guilty on the most serious offence in the law book and there are only two penalties for it, which is a death penalty or imprisonment for life.

He then passed-on the decision of which penalty to use to Crown Prosecutor 'Aminiasi Kefu who said no to a death penalty, preferring the penalty of imprisonment for life.

The Chief Justice agreed this was the right decision and ordered 'Ahotau to serve his sentence effective from today.

'Ahotau was found guilty of the murder of Napoleone Hurrell, a co-worker at the Vete Poultry Company, on the night of December 3, 2005 when he struck him on the forehead with a black metal bar after a drinking session at their workplace.

Napoleone died the next morning at Vaiola Hospital from the severe blow to his head.

The trial by a jury started on Monday February 18.