Penisimani Angilau (37) was sentenced to six years imprisonment by Chief Justice Hon Michael Dishington Scott on Monday, June 13, at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa.

Penisimani had been charged on four counts, including armed robbery, and carrying arms with the intention to commit an offence, when he threatened a man with a .22 bolt-action rifle at the Yellow Pier Wharf in April 2010.

Penisimani, from the village of Vaini was initially charged with five counts of possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a license, attempted armed robbery, carrying an arm with the intention to commit an offence and bodily harm.

On his first arraignment on August 20, 2010 at the Supreme Court he pleaded guilty to the two counts of possession of arms and ammunition without licenses and pleaded not guilty to the remaining three counts.

He was then remanded in custody and in May 2011 after a two day trial before the Chief Justice he was found guilty on the two counts of attempted armed robbery and carrying an arm with the intention to commit an offence. He was however acquitted on the bodily harm charge.

Penisimani serves his prison sentence immediately and backdated to August, 2010 when he was first remanded in custody.

Hold up

The court was told by the Crown that on 8 April 2010 the complainant Tulikava Sete and a few of his friends drove in their minivan to Nuku'alofa to have a few drinks and then continued to the Yellow Pier.

When they arrived at the pier, they noticed a small silver car already parked there with one passenger inside and they parked about 10 metres from the car.

At this time Angilau approached the complainant's minivan with his head disguised in a cloth and pointed the .22 rifle at the complainant and demanded that they hand over their wallets or he would shoot them.

The complainant and one of his friends attacked him and wrestled the gun out of his grip. During their scuffle the accused shot the complainant on the chest but luckily the bullet just grazed the complainant's chest.

Crown Prosecutors were Silivia 'Atiola and Joan Puloka, while Angilau represented himself in court during his trial