A father who was selling drugs to provide for his family of seven has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison.
Palatoni Laimani, 37, pleaded guilty to all three charges and was sentenced after Police raided his residence based on a tip-off.
Several people and Laimani were in his house when the Police entered.
Justice Nicholas Cooper described the crime as “very serious offending” in his view.
Items seized included 155.90 grams of methamphetamine, a 12 gauge shotgun, a set of scales and 1699 empty ‘dealer packs’.
Laimani was charged for all these items recovered from a large plastic bin.
Most of the methamphetamine comes in the form of five bags weighing 27.95 grams.
There were a further 47 bags.
The Police also recovered cash of TOP$2,500, NZ$20 and US$3.
A number of notebooks have also been recovered. The judge believed these included a dealer list.
“Given Mr Lautaimi’s admission at the scene that he was in the business of selling methamphetamine for profits, that would accord with what he said.
Mr Cooper sentenced Laimani to seven and half years‟ imprisonment, the last 1 year suspended for 2 years, back dated to his first remand on 28 May 2024”.
Mr Laimani assisted the police at the scene in the sense he was candid about his possessing the illicit drugs.
The judge also said: “It was large scale commercial supply and the presence of a firearm in the context of this drug dealing I consider a serious aggravating feature. I note that no ammunition was recovered, but in my view, that is merely the absence of a further aggravating factor”.
Mr. Laimani is not to leave the Kingdom of Tonga until his suspended sentence is completed, both the conditions and the two-year term. This is to ensure he does not escape that part of his sentence and also to ensure the rehabilitative portion of the sentence can be properly completed”.
Laimani’s suspension conditions are as follows:
. Report to probation within 24 hours of release
. Complete drug rehabilitation course
. Complete a life skills course
. Live where directed by probation
. He must not commit any offence punishable by imprisonment further that time
