Father sent to prison for not learning lesson

A District Court Judge has sent a 31 year old father from Siumu to Tafaigata Prison for not learning from his first offence.

That was the decision handed down by Her Honour Judge Mata Tuatagaloa yesterday when presiding over the case of Upumoni Masui.

Masui on 20 January, 2015 threatened and swore at untitled men hosting a curfew in the village at 10 p.m. At the time he had in his possession a machete.

The complaint against the defendant was brought forward by the village’s government representative, Posala Mulivai.

During proceedings into the matter Posala told the court Masui has already paid a fine to the village in relation to the offence.

“He paid $1,000 and two big fine mats,” he told the court. “He apologised to the Ali’i and Faipule and the village has accepted his apology.”

But, Judge Tuatagaloa brought up the fact that Masui was also charged with the same offence in 2011.

His actions on the night of January 20, where he swore and threatened and had in his possession a machete, were also the same things he did that year, she said.

She told him that this was a reflection that the sentence imposed upon him for that first offence, had not taught him a lesson.

Masui was not imprisoned in relation to the 2011 offence but his recent actions prompted Her Honour to send him to jail to teach him a lesson.

She said that his actions on the night of January 20, were “despicable and rude especially with elder members trying to get some sleep”.

She also told him that a curfew was important and held to ensure there is peace within a village. Yet his actions were to cause problems.

As a result she ordered that he be sent to prison for four weeks to get a taste of how bad his actions were.