A Catholic priest who ignored a passenger’s warning to slow down before a crash that killed his close friend has been jailed for one year and 10 months.
Haʻunga Junior Tupou, 41, was sentenced in the Supreme Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Salesi Hopo.
The offending followed an afternoon and evening of drinking on January 20, when Tupou, Hopo and others drank kava and wine at Veitongo before continuing at Billfish Bar in Nukuʻalofa.
Around midnight, Tupou drove from the bar with Hopo and another man, ʻAlipate Ngata, as passengers.
Justice Targowski KC said Tupou drove at excessive speed, prompting Ngata to wake and tell him to slow down after the vehicle crossed a speed hump near Lavengamalie College.
Tupou ignored the warning and continued speeding, at one point veering onto the wrong side of the road and later narrowly avoiding a stone wall at Pea.
He then failed to stop at a four-way intersection while heading towards Tokomololo before losing control of the vehicle.
The vehicle struck a residential fence and flipped onto its side.
Tupou left the scene before police arrived, while Hopo suffered a severe head injury and died at Vaiola Hospital at about 7am the following morning.
The judge said the crash was not the result of a momentary error because Tupou had several opportunities to reconsider his driving but continued despite an explicit warning from his passenger.
The court heard Tupou had consumed alcohol for several hours, but no blood-alcohol result was available because he had left the crash scene.
Tupou, who had no previous convictions, was placed on administrative leave from his duties and public ministry by the Catholic Church pending the case.
His sentence was reduced for factors including remorse, cooperation and his early guilty plea, with two years of a three-year-and-10-month sentence suspended.
He was also disqualified from driving or obtaining a licence for four years after his release and ordered to undertake alcohol-awareness, road-safety or other rehabilitation directed by the Probation Office.
