Prolific housebreaker jailed [1]
Friday, April 22, 2011 - 20:57. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
A prolific housebreaker was sent to Hu'atolitoli Prison for two and a half years on April 21, for housebreaking and theft of traditional Tongan items worth $1,280 pa'anga from his employer in Nuku'alofa.
Visesio Pongi (36), who had been remanded in police custody, had nine previous convictions for similar offences committed from 1992 to 2003.
Appearing before Justice Robert Shuster at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on April 21, the repeat offender asked for mercy and apologised to the court.
In his plea in court he said he was unsatisfied with his wages from his employer JR Finance located at the Savoy Dry Cleaning at Pahu so he stole the Tongan items. The Tongan items were held by the company as sureties for loans provided by them.
Revenge
Justice Shuster in his sentencing noted that Pongi pleaded guilty to the offences on March 4.
The judge said it was a revenge attack as Pongi had revealed that he stole from his employer because he was unsatisfied with his wages. "And that makes it even worse for you," said Justice Shuster.
"It is no doubt you were earning money yet you saw fit to steal from the people who employed and took care of you. You are a prolific housebreaker because you know how to do it and you had nine previous convictions, which is rare to see in court," the judge said.
"This is your 10th conviction, and the crime you committed was
pre-determined because you carried bolt cutters and other tools to break into the building," he said.
Justice Shuster sentenced Pongi to two and a half years imprisonment backdated to April 8 when Pongi was first kept in police custody.
Caught
The court was told at 2am on January 2, 2011 the offender broke into the JR Finance at Savoy Dry cleaning using bolt cutters and other tools.
He stole mats worth $1,280 but the neighbours caught him and detailed him until the police arrived.