It’s back to Samoa for a man convicted of assaulting his niece with the handle of a shovel.
The deportation is a condition of defendant, Taumafai Siitia’s, five-year probation sentence handed down by the High Court last week.
Samoa News reports, Siitia, an overstayer, has been been behind bars since his arrest in early July last year, unable to post a $10,000 bond.
Siitia and two friends had been drinking in front of a house, when it started raining and the trio entered an aunt’s house who was away at the time.
The niece was talking to the aunt on the phone and the aunt instructed her to tell Siitia to get out. When the niece delivered the message, the defendant got mad and hit the girl with the handle of a shovel.
The court sentenced Siitia to 5 years imprisonment and fined him $5,000. Execution of sentence was suspended in lieu of five years probation but with several conditions.
He shall serve 20 months at the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) without any release whatsoever. Once he has completed his jail term, Siitia must immediately depart the territory and remain out for the remaining period of his probation. He would only be released to the Probation Office and taken straight to the inter-island dock, for his trip to Samoa. He will be credited for the 11 months he’s served.
