The man, who police only identified as the person responsible for breaking into the Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC) office and stealing $53,000 worth of mobile phones after he was arrested in an unrelated case, has now been sent to jail.
The Supreme Court of Tonga has sentenced 21-year-old Kasiano Tukuhaukava to two and a half years’ imprisonment for serious housebreaking and theft after he admitted committing the crimes.
Tukuhaukava pleaded guilty to both charges, which related to an incident on 12 July 2024, when he smashed a window at the TCC building at around 3am, entered the premises and removed multiple high-value iPhones from the office counter. Police later recovered only three of the fifteen stolen items.
According to the court, a TCC employee discovered broken glass and missing items when arriving at work at 7am.
Tukuhaukava later admitted the offending while being held on an unrelated matter in August 2024.
The court was told he had sold the stolen phones to friends.
The total value of the stolen items, which included multiple iPhone 12, 13 and 14 series models, prompted the Crown to emphasise the seriousness of the offending.
Justice Tupou KC accepted the Crown’s recommendation for starting points of four and a half years’ imprisonment for serious housebreaking and two years for theft.
However, the court reduced the combined starting point after considering the totality of the sentence and the fact that this would be Tukuhaukava’s first significant period of incarceration.
The judge referenced the principle that a first custodial sentence should not be “crushing” for a young offender, although the court also noted that Tukuhaukava had previously benefited from leniency in lower courts.
Tukuhaukava’s early guilty plea and cooperation with police earned him a 12-month reduction, resulting in a final sentence of two and a half years. The court found partial suspension appropriate, despite his recent escape from custody while awaiting sentence.
Tukuhaukava had been transferred to ‘Eua prison without the court’s knowledge, and Crown counsel later confirmed he had absconded from custody and received a separate seven-month sentence for that offence, of which he has served two months.
Justice Tupou suspended the final twelve months of the new sentence for two years on strict conditions, including that Tukuhaukava must not commit any imprisonable offence, must report to probation within 48 hours of release, and must complete a life-skills or similar programme.
The remaining five months of the seven-month escape sentence will be served cumulatively after completion of the present sentence. Subject to compliance with conditions and any remissions, Tukuhaukava will serve 23 months in prison.
