A 49 year-old father of six has been ordered to leave the territory and serve a five year probation period in his native Samoa.
Samoa News reports that Filemoni Tagaleo’o will also serve a 4 month jail term at the Territorial Correctional Facility.
This is part of his custodial sentence which had been reduced from 20 months to make up for time already served in custody awaiting trial.
Tagaleo’o had faced assault charges after he allegedly attacked another man with a machete on April 22, 2019 at Tafuna during a dispute over land boundary that had apparently dragged on for 10 years.
The court was told the injuries from the attack has left the victim, Opetaia Faalogo, with permanent disabilities.
Tagaleo’o admitted using a machete to cause severe injuries to Faalogo over a fence on the boundary of the land where both men and their families live.
He pleaded guilty to the charges in a plea agreement and was sentenced to a suspended 5 year prison term and a $5000 fine.
The court ordered him to leave the territory for the duration of his 5 year probation period.
His sponsor was ordered to pay his $5000 fine.
