Results for Hon Mr Justice Cooper

Filipe Tongamoa (20) was jailed for dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm to his passenger, who was on life support for six-days. The court heard that Tongamoa was drunk when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed on Hihifo Road in 2022. He hurt his passengers and another driver.

Heneli Losalu (25), ‘Akapei Fa (20) and Semisi Moeaki (20) have been jailed for serious bodily harm, committed when they jointly attacked and injured a 17-year-old in the village of Puke in January this year. "It is a tragedy of this case that these young men are getting prison sentences today. But this court cannot allow this level of violence, with rolling attacks spilling over into peoples' kava clubs or private residence, especially when in the name of the inter college rivalry. That is simply demented and wrong," said the judge.

Hon. Mr Justice Cooper has rejected an application that he recuse himself from presiding over the Lavulavu trial. The application was made by 'Etuatu Lavulavu on 10 May. The judge concluded that evidence during the trial suggested that Lavulavu's complaints that he undermined its fairness, were without any foundation. The trial against the Lavulavu couple continues in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.