Results for imprisonment

Siuta Taufa (25) was sentenced to four-years six-months imprisonment for reckless driving causing the death of his 20-year-old male passenger at Malapo in 2021. He was driving in excessive speed, while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

A prolific offender, ‘Okusitino Langi (49), who is serving a lengthy prison term for drug offences, received additional time for similar offending in prison, totalling nine-years imprisonment, after being sentenced on 14 October. The Lord Chief Justice said the circumstances of this offending were troubling. “For the defendant to have been able to possess and sell drugs in prison suggests real operational deficiencies in security within the prison.”

A former police officer, Pita Vakalahi (28), was sentenced to two-years and six-months' imprisonment for demanding $640 pa'anga from a driver in a traffic offence case he worked on in 2019. The public need to see that condign punishment will be visited on police officers who betray the trust reposed in them, said the sentencing judge who also suspended 12 months of the sentence.

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.

Jailed offender Siosaia Hungalu (27) was sentenced to three-years imprisonment for the housebreaking and theft of Tongan mats, valued at around $13,900 pa'anga, from a residence in Kolofo’ou. He is serving time for other offences.

Sione Uaisele Fifita (30) was sentenced to three-years and 10-months imprisonment for numerous counts, that included forgery and embezzlement of $29,803 from his employer in separate cases.

A 62-year old man was sentenced to seven-years imprisonment for six counts of indecent assault of a minor aged 12 years old, on Tongatapu.

Sitaleki Tu’itavake (48) was sentenced to four and a half-years imprisonment for possession of 2.87 grams of methamphetamine 
and 3,153.7 grams of cannabis in two separate incidents. The judge declined to suspend any part of the sentence. "All his recent history demonstrates a flagrant disregard for the law and the opportunities afforded to him for rehabilitation. With his escalating drug offending, he is also becoming a risk to himself and the community,” he said.

'Osaiasi Naulumatua (38) was sentenced to two two-years two-months imprisonment for causing serious bodily harm, that indirectly resulted in the death of another man. He is very fortunate not to have not been charged with manslaughter. This is yet another sad and tragic case where a violent, alcohol fuelled, outburst has resulted, at least indirectly, in death, said the Lord Chief Justice.