Police v Galuvao [2014] WSSC 154 (22 July 2014)

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA
Police v Galuvao [2014] WSSC 154

Case name:	Police v Galuvao
Citation:	[2014] WSSC 154
Decision date:	22 July 2014
Parties:	POLICE (Prosecution) MAELI SULUSI GALUVAO, male of Vailele-uta (First Defendant) AND AUKUSITINO TUIAFISO, male of Vailele-uta (Second Defendant) AND TOMA VILI, male of Vailele-uta (Third Defendant) AND PETIA PISI, male of Vailele-uta (Fourth Defendant)
Hearing date(s):	-
File number(s):
Jurisdiction:	Criminal
Place of delivery:	Supreme Court of Samoa, Mulinuu
Judge(s):	Justice Nelson
On appeal from:
Order:	Proper sentence for these charges would be 6 months in prison taking all circumstances into consideration. But I see that you have already spent around 3 months in custody awaiting sentence. I am therefore going to reduce your sentence to 3 months per charge. But because there are three separate incidents which involve you Maeli that 3 months will apply to each incident and that is to be cumulative.
Representation:	O Tagaloa for prosecution Defendants unrepresented
Catchwords:	-
Words and phrases:
Legislation cited:
Cases cited:
Summary of decision:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA

HELD AT MULINUU

BETWEEN:

POLICE
Prosecution

AND:

MAELI SULUSI GALUVAO, male of Vailele-uta.
First Defendant

AND:

AUKUSITINO TUIAFISO, male of Vailele-uta.
Second Defendant

AND:

TOMA VILI, male of Vailele-uta.
Third Defendant

AND:

PETIA PISI, male of Vailele-uta.
Fourth Defendant

Counsel: O Tagaloa for prosecution
Defendants unrepresented

Sentence: 22 July 2014

SENTENCE

1. There are four defendants in this matter jointly charged with one count of burglary and one count of theft. Charge arises out of a break in that occurred on 7 April 2014 at Vailele-uta. The police summary of facts which the defendants have admitted states that during that break in the first defendant took a check belonging to the complainant and the other three defendants took three bikes that were in the complainants garage. The first named defendant Maeli Sulusi also faces extra charges, two counts of theft and one count of burglary relating to other break ins. I will therefore deal with you first Maeli.
2. The other two charges arise out of a break in firstly that occurred on the 8^th of March 2014. The summary of facts for that matter which is also accepted by Maeli indicates that he is a single, 20 year old male of Vaitele-uta and Salesatele Falealili, works as a plumber for his cousin.
3. Early in the morning of 8^th March 2014 he climbed over the locked fence of the complainant pried open the mesh wire of the front window of the complainants house and entered the complainants house. He removed from the house two galaxy cell phones, one Samsung tablet, one leather jacket and a DVD player. Total value of properties taken $6,350.0. After police investigation everything was recovered except for the galaxy cell phones, probably sold by the defendant.
4. Later that month on the 27^th of March the defendant committed the second burglary and theft. He entered the enclosed yard of a different complainant at Vaitele-uta. This time did not enter the building but broke into the complainants parked vehicle and removed a laptop and a fitting book. The total value of these two properties $3,500.00. It would appear from the victim impact report the laptop was recovered by the police but not the fitting book.
5. In April the defendant Maeli committed the burglary and theft for which he has been jointly charged with his co-defendants. That occurred again at Vaitele-uta on the 7^th of April 2014. And as stated earlier what he took on that occasion was a wallet which contained a personal cheque belonging to the complainant in the sum of $1,200.00. The wallet was recovered by the police and the cheque was stopped from being cashed by the complainant. It was when all the four defendants were out riding the stolen bikes that they were apprehended by the police and then these other burglary and thefts by Maeli came to light.
6. It is clear from that Maeli is someone who is in the habit of breaking into people’s houses and stealing property. And that the other three defendants were probably led into their offending by Maeli. The other three defendants should pick smarter friends. For you Maeli it is clear from the number of offences you have pleaded guilty to that prison time is required. But I take into account you are still young and the fact that this is your first court appearance. And what is contained in your pre-sentence report which says that you have been a good supporter for your family. You are still young Maeli, you can change your life and mend your ways.
7. My advice to you is to do that. Otherwise long prison terms await you for breaking into people’s houses and stealing peoples properties. Proper sentence for these charges would be 6 months in prison taking all circumstances into consideration. But I see that you have already spent around 3 months in custody awaiting sentence. I am therefore going to reduce your sentence to 3 months per charge. But because there are three separate incidents which involve you Maeli that 3 months will apply to each incident and that is to be cumulative.
8. O lona uiga Maeli e 3 masina i le mataupu e tasi, e tolu mataupu ia e molia mai ai lau susuga i luma o le fa’amasinoga. E tuli eseese fa’asalaga na leaga e eseese mataupu. O lona uiga o le aofaiga o le taimi e te nofo sala ai i le toese e 9 masina mo mataupu uma nei e i luma o le fa’amasinoga. A mae’a le 9 masina lena tu’u atu oe i lalo o le va’ava’aiga a le ofisa fa’anofo va’ava’aia mo le 12 masina.
9. Tulaga o lou fa’anofo va’ava’aia, ia masalo a e magalo mai e fa’amalamalama atu e le alii ofisa o le ofisa fa’anofo va’ava’aia. Tulaga fa’apitoa e fautuaina le ofisa fa’anofo va’ava’aia, e tatau ona e auai i polokalame o le toe fuataina o lou olaga. Ou te talitonu pau lena o le auala e taumafai atu ai e fa’asa’osa’o le tulaga lea e iai lou olaga i le taimi lenei ma lau amio. Pei ona e fa’afofoga mai, o mea uma nei e le’o ni mea e taumafai atu iai le ofisa fa’anofo va’ava’aia ma le fa’amasinoga mo seisi tagata Maeli. O le mea e tatau ona fai mo oe. O le fautuaga la onosai ma e alu i polokalame ia atonu e aoga mo oe.
10. O leisi tulaga faapitoa o lou nofo va’ava’aia e sa ona e toe fai fai mea pe toe pipi’i ma tama ia e molia fa’atasi. O le tou fai fai mea fa’atasi lea ua tou iu mai ai i luma o le fa’amasinoga. O isi tulaga o le fa’anofo va’ava’aia o le a ta’atia atu i le ofisa e fa’amalamalama atu pe a maea ona tuli lou 9 masina lea i le toese. Ua e malamalama i le fa’aiuga o mataupu ia e fa’asaga ia oe Maeli? (Defendant said yes).
11. O outou lea e totoe Aukusitino, Toma ma Petia. Toma e manaomia se lipoti mai le ofisa fa’anofo va’ava’aia mo lau mataupu. Ona o lea e lei tapenaina se lipoti a le ofisa fa’anofo va’ava’aia o lea o le a tolopo le fa’aiuga o le tou mataupu, sei fa’ata’atia mai e le ofisa le lipoti le mo lau susuga Toma. O lea o le a tatala outou i tua e fa’atalitali ai le fa’aiuga a le fa’amasinoga. A’o le tu’utu’uga ia e tatala oi outou i tua. Tulaga muamua, e tatau ona tou saini i le ofisa fa’anofo va’ava’aia fa’alua i le vaiaso, Aso Lulu ma le Aso Faraile ae lei taina le 12:00 i le aoauli. O leisi tulaga aua le toe a’afia seisi o outou ae lei faia se fa’aiuga o le mataupu lenei. Aua nei toe molia mai seisi i seisi foi mea. Ua tou malamalama? (Defendants said yes).
12. E toe molia mai loa le tamaitiiti i seisi mea, toe ave foi toe loka e fa’atalitali ai le fa’aiuga. O le aso lea o le a tolopo iai le tou mataupu o le aso 21 Aokuso. Manatua lelei le aso, a galo le aso fesili i le ofisa fa’anofo va’ava’aia po’o le ofisa o leoleo po’o le ofisa o le resitara. O le aso 21 o Aokuso lea ua tolopo iai mo se fa’aiuga mai le fa’amasinoga. E iai se mea e le’o manino i le tou mataupu Aukusitino, Toma ma Petia? (Defendants said no). Manatua lelei le aso ma tu’utu’uga lea ua tatala ai outou i tua? (Defendants said yes). Ia atonu o lea ua fa’afofoga mai le tou aiga, a iai se tulaga e le’o malamalama iai, o lo’o avanoa le alii ofisa o le ofisa fa’anofo va’ava’aia e fai se latou tala.
    

JUSTICE NELSON