A man has been convicted of inflicting serious bodily harm upon two men using a machete at a residence on Vava’u islands.
Tevita ‘Osaiasi Pepa Veikune Unaloto ki Pulotu Matangi denied causing grievous bodily harm to Mateaki Hafoka, 29, of Talau and Sikuvea Fifita, 26, of Longomapu when he assaulted them with a machete during a drunken altercation at a residence in Talau in October 2023.
However, Supreme Court Judge Petunia Tupou found him guilty of causing serious bodily harm on Monday.
The court was told that Matangi, Fifita, Hafoka, Sione Toki, Lamipuli, and two girls were drinking alcohol outside Lamipuli’s house.
Matangi and Toki were seen chatting nearby and got into a fight. Fifita stopped them before Toki and the girls left. Those that remained returned to drinking.
Shortly after, Matangi attacked Fifita before they fought. They were stopped by Hafoka. Matangi then went inside Lamipuli‟s house while Fifita was talking with Hafoka.
Fifita heard Hafoka saying something about a “helepelu” (machete). Fifita then ran toward a fence to hide. He saw Matangi coming toward him holding the machete up over his head.
When Matangi got to him, Fifita jumped up and tried to disarm him of the machete. He was struck by the machete before he could get a hold of Matangi‟s hands. He was unaware of his injuries at that point. When he realised he was injured, he ran down the path leading towards the main road where he collapsed. He woke up at the hospital the next morning.
The court was told that Hafoka was injured after he intervened to stop the attack before Matangi struck him with the machete “albeit by accident, causing his injuries”.
A doctor’s report “describes the gravity of Hafoka’s injuries and emphasised that had he not been brought to the hospital it would have cost him his life”.
The Police took Hafoka and Fifita to the hospital, and while they were there, Matangi showed up. He told the police that he was there to receive treatment for the injuries apparently inflicted in the attack.
Fifita, who was lying in bed, saw Matangi and told the police that he was the one who allegedly injured them.
The court ruling indicated that Matangi had been arrested, but it did not specify the timeframe of the arrest.
The Prosecution called seven witnesses including those who were at the party.
Witnesses describe the severity of the injuries
The victims were taken to a hospital and received treatment before being evacuated to the main hospital in Tongatapu.
They continue to recover from their injuries, some of which are life-changing.
The owner of the house Lamipuli said he ran away from the scene because he was scared.
One of the police officers attending the scene told the court they found the two men with serious injuries and took them to the hospital.
“One was fainting but the one with the surname Fifita was still talking. He was asking for help as he was in pain”.
The doctor described Hafoka’s conditions as he “was already weak, his blood pressure was down and there was not enough blood to keep him alive”.
