'Uluaki Falealea Vaka'uta (27) of Ma'ufanga was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for serious offences of housebreaking, theft and causing grevious bodily harm committed from June to July this year in the Nuku'alofa area.

His crimes included breaking into Chinese shops, a local joinery business and stabbing a Tongan man at his home.

Chief Justice Michael Scott sentenced the dangerous prolific thief to seven years in Hu'atolitoli Prison, at the Supreme Court on 7 December, after he pleaded guilty to four counts of housebreaking, three thefts, one robbery and causing grevious bodily harm.

The Crown told the court that the offender committed these crimes from 4 June to 4 July, when he broke into and stole from three Chinese shops, the Skips Joinery at Pahu, and a home at Ma'ufanga. He stole goods and cash valued over $15,000 pa'anga.

On 4 June the offender and other co-accused persons were drinking at a home in Ma'ufanga where they planned to rob a Chinese shop in Kolofo'ou. At 2pm they executed the plan and broke into the shop and threatened the complainant Jin Fa LIn by forcing a knife up his throat. They fled with cash and his mobile phone.

On 10 June the offender and another co-accused Viliami Vai Baker broke into another Chinese shop owned by Bing Qi Ling after he left his shop to have dinner at 6pm. The owner returned to the store later that night and noticed the store had been broken into and goods were missing, and contacted the police.

On 14 June at 1am the offender and another co-accused broke into a home of Chinese man Jin Lan Han at Ma'ufanga while he was sleeping and stole items.

The housebreaking continued on 25 June when the offender again broke into the Skips Joinery building at Pahu and stole many items. The manager Diane Warner discovered on the next day that the office was in disarray and that some of her items had been stolen and reported the matter to the police.

The Crown stated on 2 July Diane notified the police that some of her stolen items were returned to her by employees of Group Construction Ltd after the offender pawned the stolen items and lied that items belonged to his father who had already migrated overseas.

Stabbing

The offender who remained loose on 4 July committed another serious crime. At 11:30am he attacked Sione Tu'iono Tupou while he was sleeping in his van which was parked outside of his house at Ma'ufanga.

The victim managed to break free and ran into the house where another person woke up and called the police. The victim was rushed to the hospital and was treated for severe injuries.

The offender admitted to all of the offending in Nuku'alofa and pleaded guilty to all charges.