Results for sentence

Siosaia Taulahi (20) and Tevita Pasi (21) were imprisoned for serious housebreaking, theft and receiving valuable Tongan handicrafts worth around $231,700, stolen from the Tonga National Museum in 2022. Pasi was also sentenced for supplying methamphetamine to a minor. He manipulated a child to become involved in a high value theft of significant cultural artefacts and used the allure of illicit drugs to do so. It was a “deeply offensive crime”, said the judge. “The vandalism of the museum was a terrible act.” Most of the items stolen were never recovered.

Heneli Manuofetoa, ‘Aisea Havea and Kaniteli Guttenbeil were found guilty of possession of cannabis seized in Popua. Heneli was sentenced to five and a half months imprisonment to run concurrent with the 32-months that he is already serving in prison.

Filimone To’aho (40) was sentenced to one-year jail for the theft of over $17,767 pa’anga, which he borrowed and misused to purchase 20 vehicles from Japan. By May this year, he repaid most of the money and received a suspended sentence.

Siua Palanite Hufanga (49), who is currently in jail for theft, was sentenced to 21-months imprisonment for possession of 2.13 grams of methamphetamine and 8.16 grams of cannabis, seized by Police at a curfew checkpoint at Mu’a.

Ue’ikaetau Tapa’atoutai was sentenced to six-months imprisonment for possession of 0.08 grams of methamphetamine and 0.43 grams of cannabis. This was fully suspended on conditions.

Similati Tupou was sentenced to nine-months imprisonment, which was fully suspended for possession of 0.01 gram of methamphatamine and 94 blank .22 ammunitions without a license, seized at his home in Pahu.

'Ikani Pailate (25) has been jailed for raping a 38-year-old woman in Tongatapu last year.

Liufau Latu (30) was sentenced last week to three-years three-months imprisonment for causing the death of his passenger Tevita Moa Taufa (27) last year in Fatai, in an early hours crash after a night out in town.

Two male teenagers were sentenced to seven and eight-years imprisonment each for violently raping a woman who lived alone, in a deterrent sentence by a Supreme Court judge who said this is to protect women against predatory sexual home invasions. The perpetrators were involved in drugs and alcohol.