A man who has a history of multiple convictions and imprisonment sentences has been sentenced to four years in prison following a police operation that caught him with illicit drugs and paraphernalia.
As a result of his repeated offending, Justice Cooper refused to give Piliote Uasike any suspension of his jail sentence.
“That sentence must be served in full”, he said.
His co-defendant is expected to appear in court in a separate court hearing.
All money, drugs and paraphernalia recovered during his arrest are to be retained for the trial of his codefendant and disposed of thereafter on the appropriate application, Mr Cooper said.
The court was told that Police Officer Vi spotted Uasike in a car in the Patangata area of Papua, travelling west towards Nuku’alofa.
He followed the vehicle with other Police officers before they caught up with it, and an officer went straight to the driver’s side, opened the car door, and restrained the driver, Miss Malamala.
Uasike was caught red-handed, a court document showed. He had over 3 grams of methamphetamine in his possession, 2.85 grams in one packet and four 0.6 gram ‘deals’ with it, making a total of 3.09 grams.
Two more quantities of cash were recovered, $65 at his feet and $50 from the little black bag the illicit drugs were in.
When he was apprehended, he was sat in the front passenger car seat and was trying to get rid of the illicit drugs from his pocket.
Uasike had previous convictions, including 10 convictions for 15 offences dating back to 2011.
He has three convictions for housebreaking and theft, all dealt with in the Magistrates’ court where he variously received community punishment orders, imprisonment and further community punishment orders.
He has committed offences of willfully damaging property, using threatening language to a government servant and an offence of having possession of a loaded weapon without a license
The pre-sentence report was filed 20 January 2025. It sets out that Mr. Uasike has an extensive criminal record and that illicit drug use is at the heart of it.
He apparently finally admits these offences.
“Whilst these factors have not been explored, it is quite clear that with his criminal past and continued drug offending, despite many convictions and chances the Courts have given, he is at a high risk of re-offending. He is plainly a high risk to the community”.
