A Tongatapu man who threatened to beat his neighbour with an aluminium pipe to death has avoided a term of imprisonment.

Viliami Kioa, 43, of Sopu, appeared before the Supreme Court recently and pleaded guilty to the charge of causing serious bodily harm contrary to section 107(1), (2)(b) and (c) of the Criminal Offences Act.
He was convicted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
The two-year sentence was suspended for three years.
The court was told that Toti Muimui Folau Viau, a 45-year-old woman residing in Sopu, with others were doing some outdoor cleaning at the house of Mele Tatu Fusimalohi
Kioa lives next door to Mele’s residence, and he had used her property to park some broken-down vehicles.
Sometime during the cleanup, Vīau walked to Kioa’s place and asked him to remove his broken-down vehicles from Mele’s property because Mele had already told him to do so.
Kioa swore at Vīau, and Vīau responded by saying she had been authorised by Mele to be the caretaker of her property.
Kioa swore at Vīau again then a verbal altercation occurred.
At this time, Vīau’s 12-year-old daughter cried and called out to Kioa that he was swearing at her mother.
Kioa walked towards Vīau with a 4-feet-aluminium pipe, and he used it to hit Vīau on the left side of her torso.
Vīau tried to reason with him, but Kioa did not listen and continued to repeatedly hit Vīau with the pipe on her head and the back of her neck while saying, “I will beat you to death so you will know who I am.”
Vīau used her hands to shield herself from the blows and told Kioa to stop.
The daughter ran home to call her father. When he arrived, the Accused had already stopped beating Vīau.
Kioa picked up the pieces of the aluminium pipe and left.
Later that evening, Vīau went to Vaiola Hospital. On the same day, she lodged a complain with Tonga Police.