A Tongan man with convictions against two female victims will likely be deported to Tonga after groping them at a bar in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Samiuela Pauni Koula Vatuvei, 25, had his application for a discharge without conviction on two charges of indecent assault rejected by Judge Mark Callaghan in the Dunedin District Court yesterday, the Otago Daily Times reported.
The women were at the Octagon bar on December 10 last year.
In the first incident, Vatuvei approached from behind and grabbed the woman’s buttock, moving his fingers towards her genitalia. The woman turned and “threw her drink over him”, the report said.
In the second incident, Vatuvei approached the other woman and “forcefully” ran his hand over her genitalia.
The woman slapped and berated him as he walked away.
The defence team pleaded with the judge to have mercy on Vatuvei as an immigration lawyer had advised that if convicted Vatuvei would likely be deported to Tonga. The judge declined it.
The court was told that Vatuvei had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol, rendering him significantly intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Counsel for Vatuvei said he was a member of the Methodist Church and a fine young man of excellent character.
The judge ordered Vatuvei to pay each victim $750 as “a token of gesture”.
