Sioned Talia'uli (31) of Popua was sentenced on May 21 to life imprisonment for the murder of his four-year-old-son Tutei Talia'uli whom he repeatedly assaulted at Popua, in September last year.

A jury of seven found delivered a unanimous guilty verdict of murder for Sione after deliberating in closed chambers at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.

Mr Justice Shuster sentenced the convicted murderer to life imprisonment at Hu'atolitoli Prison effective immediately.

The jury trial, which began on May 17, was told that this father repeatedly assaulted his young son firstly on September 5, 2009 with a wooden stick at their home because he complained that he did not have enough to eat.

On September 7 the father again beat his young son but this time with an electric wire that had a knot at the end. The beating was so severe that it left boy speechless and severely wounded.

On the following day, September 8 the young boy was rushed to Vaiola Hospital but he died at 10:00pm that night after his heart failed.

In Tonga there are only two penalties for murder, one is the death sentence and the other is life imprisonment.

The Crown Prosecution was represented by the Solicitor General 'Aminiasi Kefu while the father was represented by Sifa Tu'utafaiva.