A Halaleva man who forcefully entered a home at Tofoa armed with a rifle and stole goods valued at $15,640 pa'anga was sentenced to 10 years and six months imprisonment on Monday, September 22.

Fapiano Kali (25) was sentenced by Justice Shuster at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court after pleading guilty to three counts of housebreaking, armed robbery and possession of arms without a licence.

On March 23, 2008 at Tofoa, Kali together with two other accused 'Alamoni Makafilia and Kusitafu Pohahau broke into Sione Tafolo's house armed with a rifle and stole goods valued at $15,640.

Justice Shuster in his sentencing said although the rifle used in the armed robbery was damaged and not loaded, the victims (who included children present in the home) on the other hand did know this and "stealing is stealing", he emphasised.

Deterrent sentence

The starting point of his sentencing for an armed robbery offence is 15 years imprisonment but because the accused pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, the judge imposed 10 years as a deterrent sentence.

Kali was sentenced to four years imprisonment for housebreaking, 10 years for armed robbery and a two years sentence for possession of arms without a licence.

Justice Shuster ordered the sentences be served concurrently making it 10 years in total.

However, the armed robber committed the offence while on a suspended sentence when he was sentenced to six months imprisonment for a previous housebreaking offence.

The judge then ordered for the six months to be added to the 10 years, which meant Kali would serve a total of 10 years and six months sentence at Hu'atolitoli Prison effective on September 22.