The sentencing of two 20 year olds for theft of nearly $2,000 worth of goods was postponed by Chief Justice Robin Webster to December 2, awaiting a mental health report on one of the offenders.

Tavake Ma and Simione Faiva both from Kolofo'ou, appeared in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on on November 15 after changing their plea from not guilty to guilty on the charges of housebreaking and theft.

The court was told that the defendants on 1 August 2003 stole 20 boxes of corned beef from a Nuku'alofa Chinese shop, which they later sold to another Chinese shop for $550 pa...’anga.

Later on 24 November 2003 Ma stole a TV screen worth $900 and a DVD player valued at $300 from Tavake Fusimalohi...’s residence in Fasi, which he later sold for $80 to a Chinese delivery truck.

Chief Justice Webster told the two accused that because they had changed their pleas from not guilty to guilty they had saved the court a lot of time in calling witnesses for their trial, and he would impose a sentence whereby each gets a reduction by a third.

The judge was awaiting a mental health report on Faiva, from the Psychiatric Ward at the Vaiola Hospital.

The legal counsel for the Crown was Gloria Guttenbeil and the accused represented themselves.