Two and a half years in jail for machete attack on cousins

A 25-year-old male will have two and a half years to learn his lesson at Tafa’igata Prison after he was sent there by the Supreme Court for an attack on two cousins using a machete.

Tagialaoa Reupena, of Leauva’a, was sentenced by the Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiava’asu’e Sapolu.

The jail term follows a hefty penalty imposed by the Village Council on the young man and his family where his parents have been banished from the village.

The defendant pleaded guilty to two charges of intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The incident occurred on 22 April this year at Leauva’a.

The Court heard that the two cousins were involved in beating up the defendant’s father.

The elderly man was hospitalised but was discharged after he was treated for his injuries.

Back at home that evening, the matai of the family gathered with the people involved to reconcile.

Reupena was sitting in a neighbouring house waiting for the outcome of the meeting. At one point, he became extremely upset that the matai had not decided to banish his two cousins who attacked his father.

That’s when he picked up a machete and entered the house where the meeting was happening. The first victim was slashed on the right shoulder, sending him to the floor. The second was hit on the left hand as he attempted to block the blows.

The accused then ran away and hid the machete in a banana patch.

Later, he told the Probation Service he knew what he had done was wrong and he turned himself in to the Police that same evening.

The Chief Justice said the defendant needs to be punished for the offence, to send a message out that what he did was wrong.

Leone Su’a-Mailo, of the Attorney General’s Office, was the prosecutor while the defendant did not have a lawyer.