SIONE Vaomotou (36) was acquitted by jurors on a murder charge but found guilty on a lesser charge of the manslaughter of his wife Fotu'aika Vaomotou (25).

Vaomotou had pleaded not guilty when charge of the murder of his wife by stabbing her 23 times in May 2009. He appeared at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on Tuesday, July 20 at the start of his trial before Justice Shuster and the Jurors gave their verdict on July 28.

During the prosecution's evidence the jury was told that around 5:00am on May 21, 2009 while the victim was sleeping at her uncle's home at Ma'ufanga, the accused broke through the window and stabbed her repeatedly causing her death. A medical report from the doctor confirmed 23 stab wounds were found on her body.

The events leading to the murder took place after the victim left her husband because he assaulted her. She had even lodged a complaint with the police that resulted in a charge of assault for the accused. His trial was to be called on May 22, 2009 but, sadly, she died the day before.

Counsel Sifa Tu'utafaiva for the defence did not dispute the fact that the victim's death was caused by the stab wounds that were inflicted by the accused. However, his main defence was that there was extreme provocation that caused the husband to enter the state of anger he was in and also that he did not have an intention to commit murder.

Adding that when the couple was married between 2001-09, they experienced problems caused by the wife's extra-marital affairs with other men.

Mr Justice Shuster ordered that Sione be admitted and kept at the Psychiatric Ward at Vaiola Hospital for a month for examination. He also ordered that a Mental Report be provided before he passed a sentence, after the one-month duration.

The maximum penalty for manslaughter in Tonga is an imprisonment term not exceeding 25 years.