Police v Luamanuvae [2017] WSSC 83 (10 May 2017)

SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA
Police v Luamanuvae [2017] WSSC 83

Case name:	Police v Luamanuvae
Citation:	[2017] WSSC 83
Decision date:	10 May 2017
Parties:	POLICE (Prosecution) and SAMAOSO LUAMANUVAE male of Fagaee, Salelologa and Tafaigata Prison. (Defendant)
Hearing date(s):	-
File number(s):	S1227/16, S1229/16, S1067/16, S1068/16, S1063/16
Jurisdiction:	Criminal
Place of delivery:	Supreme Court of Samoa, Mulinuu
Judge(s):	Justice Nelson
On appeal from:
Order:
Representation:	F Ioane for prosecution Defendant unrepresented
Catchwords:	Armed with a dangerous weapon – actual bodily harm – willful trespass – throwing bottles at a vehicle – threatening words – arson of the vehicle – veteran offender – previous convictions – victim impact report
Words and phrases:
Legislation cited:
Cases cited:
Summary of decision:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA
HELD AT MULINUU

BETWEEN:

POLICE
Prosecution

AND:

SAMAOSO LUAMANUVAE male of Fagaee, Salelologa and Tafaigata Prison.

Defendant

Counsel:
F Ioane for prosecution
Defendant unrepresented

Hearing: 15 March 2017

Decision: 21 April 2017

Sentence: 10 May 2017

S E N T E N C E

1. The facts at the trial indicated that about 11:00 pm on Easter Thursday, 24 March 2016 the defendants after drinking vodka and no doubt consuming other things were in a vehicle approaching the entrance to Salelologa Wharf in Savaii. The vehicle collided with an old model Toyota pickup being driven by the complainant. The defendants seemed to regard the accident as the complainants fault so they exited the vehicle and attacked the complainant who at this stage was running away from the two drunken men. The complainant ran to the Wharf compound crying “fiaola” and seeking help. Security guard at the wharf let him into the compound and a sailor keeping watch on the Lady Samoa at the time tied up at the Salelologa Wharf gave the complainant shelter inside the vessel.
2. The defendants armed with rocks entered the compound, confronted and threatened the guard and the sailor, who refused to divulge the complainants whereabouts. The two men left the compound and after throwing bottles at the vehicle, tore up a cardboard box and took out their anger by setting fire to the pick-up. The guard and the sailor clearly identified the defendant as one of the two men that set the vehicle alight. In the midst of all this a friend of the complainant who earlier had been drinking with him at the Evaeva Bar wandered on to the scene and was knocked out by the defendant.
3. The police and fire brigade eventually arrived on the scene and put out the blazing vehicle but it is clear from the photos that the pick-up is probably a write-off. The defendant pleaded guilty to assaulting the wanderer and to trespass but not guilty to the other charges of armed with a dangerous weapon et al against him. The co-defendant did not appear at trial and a warrant for his arrest remains outstanding.
4. After hearing the relevant evidence the court dismissed six (6) of the eleven (11) charges. The defendant appears for sentence today on the remaining five (5): being S227/16 actual bodily harm to the wanderer which he pleaded guilty to; S1229/16 of willful trespass to which he also pleaded guilty; S1067/16 of throwing bottles at a vehicle; S1068/16 of threatening words; and S1063/16 the arson of the vehicle.
5. Samaoso has expressed remorse for his offending, in fact he did so at the end of the trial, and promises not to appear again before the court. Samaoso is a veteran offender and I cannot give much weight to those assurances. He has a long list of previous convictions dating back to the 1990’s for which he has served various terms of imprisonment.
6. The victim impact report placed before the court indicates that the vehicle these two gentlemen burnt is a total loss. The victim says:

“Matua’i tiga lava lo’u loto i le mea na tupu, ina ua susunu la’u ta’avale sa pei lava a’u o se tagata ua leai se fa’amoemoe ona o le fa’amoemoega atoa lea o si o’u aiga i feau ma galuega e fai.

O le isi mea sa mamafa i lo’u mafaufau ona o le ta’avale sa fa’aaoga e ō ai i le pa povi se’i tulou, maumaga aemaise o mea e tutupu fa’afuasei i le aiga a o loo iai le ta’avale e fa’aaoga e vave atunu’u ai i se nofoaga o loo mana’omia e o iai.

O le taimi lenei e leai se tupe ua alu ona e le i toe fia faia le ta’avale ua le aogā, ae o le tau o le ta’avale ua leaga e $15,000.00ST.”

7. O lea e tagi mai le sa tagi e fa’apea e $15,000.00 le tau o le ta’avale, peita’i e le talia e le Fa’amasinoga lena tulaga. Aua o le molimau a lona atalii i luma o le Fa’amasinoga e na o le $5,000.00 le tau na fa’atau ai le ta’avale. E le fa’aāogaina lea e le fa’amasinoga le tulaga lea e tusi talosaga mai iai le na tagi. Ae o le mea moni lava e le mafai ona fai iai se fa’atatau a le Fa’amasinoga i lena tulaga ona o le mataupu lenei o le mataupu o lau solitulafono, ae le o se mataupu o le tagi mo le toe faiga o le ta’avale.
8. E lē fesiligia foi Samaoso e tatau ona tu’u atu se fa’asalaga fa’a-falepuipui mo lenei mea. Masalo o lena ua e iloa lelei e le mafai ona e agai solo ma fai nei ituaiga gaioiga. O taimi uma lava e te solia ai le tulafono e leai seisi mea e mafai ona fai, e toe fa’afoi oe i gautā. Ua pei o se fale ua fai ma ou nofoaga tumau. E pule lava lau susuga. Ou te ofo foi ia oe i lou le augatā e alu e tuli nei fa’asalaga i le tele o nei mataupu e fa’asaga ia oe. Ae ui i lea o le matafaioi lena a Samaoso e le o se matafaioi a seisi o matou.
9. Mo mataupu nei, o le solitulafono e pito i sili ona mamafa o le susunuina lea o le ta’avale. Fai mai le tulafono Samaoso e 14 tausaga e mafai ona āu iai le fa’aiuga a le Fa’amasinoga. Ma atonu e talafeagai ma isi fa’aiuga ia se fa’asalaga pe a i le 5 i le 6 tausaga mo le lua solitulafono lea sa fa’atinoina. Ana fa’apea e te ioe semanu e mafai ona paū i lalo seisi vaega. Ae leaga e te lei ioe o lea na e tete’e lava i moliaga ia e fa’asaga ia oe. Ana fa’apea foi e te oo i lē sa a’afia i le mataupu lenei pe alu iai seisi o le tou aiga, atonu e iai foi se fa’amāmā avega e mafai ona tu’u atu, ia ae lei fa’atinoina lena tulaga. E le mafai foi ona avatu se fa’amāmā avega ona o le tulaga o lou record, poo le tele o nei solitulafono e fa’asaga ia oe. O lona uiga o se vaitaimi o le 5 i le 6 tausaga le fa’aiuga. E tatau ona fa’ata’atia atu mo lau susuga. O lea o le a tu’u i le fa’asalaga pito i laititi o le 5 tausaga mo le solitulafono lea o le susunuina o le ta’avale.
10. Mo le mataupu lea o lou fa’ao’olima i le sa a’afia, e le o iai ni mau i luma o le Fa’amasinoga e fa’amaonia ai manu’a pe tugā ni manu’a o lea sa a’afia. Pau le mea lea e maitau atu e le Fa’amasinoga o lau tu’i lea na fa’amoe ai le taule’ale’a lea, e tasi a le tu’i, masalo o le mamafa ma le masau o ou lima, pei o le masau o lima o Joseph Parker lea ua moe ai le taule’ale’a lea. E tatau ona fai iai se fa’atatau a le Fa’amasinoga. E 12 masina le taimi e tatau ona fa’asala ai oe mo le matapu lena ae pa’ū i le 9 masina ona sa e ioe i le solitulafono lena.
11. Le solitulafono lea o lou tu fua i totonu o le lotoa a le Shipping Corporation po o le Ofisa o Vaa, ua faamaonia foi lau solitulafono, e 6 masina e te nofo sala ai i le falepuipui, pa’u i le 3 masina ona o lea sa e ioe foi i le tulaga lena.
12. Tauaiga o fagu i le taavale e 3 masina foi e faasala ai oe i lena mataupu.
13. Fa’apena foi i le fa’aaogaina o upu tau fa’amatau e fa’asaga i le sa a’afia i lenei mataupu e 3 masina foi lou fa’asalaga.
14. A fa’apea e tu’u fa’atasi uma fa’asalaga nei Samaoso, o lona uiga poo se mea o le 6 pe 7 tausaga lou taimi e tatau ona tuli i le toese. O le fa’amāmā avega lea o le a avatu ia oe i le aso, o le a tuli fa’atasi fa’asalaga ia. Ae tatau ona tuli eseese fa’asalaga ia ma nisi fa’asalaga o loo tuli i le taimi nei, ona e ese mataupu na ese mataupu nei. O lona uiga o le aotelega o le mataupu e 5 tausaga lou taimi e tatau ona tuli i le toese mo solitulafono uma nei. Ua e malamalama i lou fa’asalaga Samaoso? (Defendant said yes).
    

JUSTICE NELSON