By Linny Folau

Alaisia Matangi (37) is serving a two-year imprisonment sentence for the theft of a vehicle and its contents worth $24,000 outside the Cowley Bakery in Nuku’alofa. The theft occurred while the owner was inside the bakery for a few minutes.

Lord Chief Justice Bishop sentenced Matangi on March 31 in the Supreme Court, Nuku’alofa, after he pleaded guilty to the charge committed on March 6, 2024. This was an opportunistic theft in broad daylight outside the Cowley and Sons bakery. The owner of the blue Toyota Prado went inside the bakery for only five to ten minutes. Upon returning, he found the vehicle missing along with its contents, with a total value of $24,000.

The Lord Chief Justice stated that the vehicle was traced, and its number plates had been changed in an attempt to avoid detection. Matangi was arrested and admitted to the offence, pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.

“The difficulty with your case is that this is not the first time you have committed serious acquisitive offenses, including theft and robbery. It seems to me that you have not learned your lesson. In 2019, you pleaded guilty to robbery and were imprisoned for a total of seven years and six months. You will understand that there is no way of dealing with you other than an immediate custodial sentence, having regard to comparable cases to which I have been helpfully referred,” stated the Lord Chief Justice.

He then took a starting point of four years imprisonment. Since Matangi pleaded guilty, cooperated with the police, and the vehicle with some, though not all, of the contents was recovered, the sentence was reduced by 12 months, making it three years. He also took into account the reference letters received from Matangi's community, which stated that he had learned the error of his ways. Accordingly, the last 12 months of the sentence were suspended, resulting in 24 months in custody and 12 months thereafter suspended on the usual conditions.

The defendant was then sentenced to three years imprisonment, with the last 12 months suspended on conditions that he must not commit any further offense punishable by imprisonment during his suspended sentence and must complete a course on Alcohol and Drug Awareness within 12 months of his release from custody.