IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA
Police v Chong Nee [2014] WSSC 186

Case name: 	Police v Chong Nee	
		
Citation: 	[2014] WSSC 186	
		
Decision date: 	27 October 2014	
		
Parties: 	POLICE (Prosecution)
PATI CHONG NEE male Vaitale-fou and Aleisa. (Defendant) AND HENRY TOVALE male Vaitele-tai and Talimatau (Second Defendant) AND FILIPO PESAMINO male Toamua-uta (Third Defendant).	
		
Hearing date(s): 	-	
		
File number(s): 		
		
Jurisdiction: 	Criminal	
		
Place of delivery: 	Supreme Court of Samoa, Mulinuu	
		
Judge(s): 	Justice Nelson	
		
On appeal from:		
		
Order:		
		
Representation: 	O Tagaloa for prosecution
Defendant unrepresented	
		
Catchwords: 	-	
		
Words and phrases:		
		
Legislation cited:		
		
Cases cited:		
		
Summary of decision:		

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA

HELD AT MULINUU

BETWEEN:
		
POLICE
Prosecution

AND:

	PATI CHONG NEE male Vaitale-fou and Aleisa.
First Defendant

AND:

	HENRY TOVALE male Vaitele-tai and Talimatau.
Second Defendant

AND:

	FILIPO PESAMINO male Toamua-uta.
Third Defendant

Counsel:	O Tagaloa for prosecution
Defendants unrepresented

Sentence:	27 October 2014

SENTENCE

1.	After a defended hearing defendants were found guilty of the following: Pati and Filipo were found guilty of the burglary of the Nauer Engineering Shop at Vaitele on the night of 3 April 2014 and stealing two large weed eaters, a car battery, an amplifier and a car stereo.  The total value of these properties $2,700.00.  
2.	The evidence established that the defendants cut a hole in the wire fence of the shop premises, entered the premises and stole the weed eaters from the store room and the other items from cars parked in the engineering shop.  The items were subsequently recovered by the police and returned to the complainant.  That was on the night of the 3rd of April.  
3.	All three defendants were also found guilty of breaking in to the Bargain Wholesale Warehouse property at Vaitele on the 7th of April and stealing groceries worth $1,193.80.  
4.	Finally the defendant Pati was also found guilty of being found by the police on the night of 26 April 2014 at Vaitele-uta in possession of instruments with intent to commit burglary.  Those instruments being two screw drivers and a can opener.  All these offences are punishable by substantial imprisonment penalties.  Burglary by 10 years maximum, theft by 7 years maximum.  
5.	Pati and Filipo although they are young men have recent previous convictions for burglary and theft.  They are on the road to becoming hardened burglars.  This is the defendant Henrys first offence.  I will deal firstly with Pati and Filipo and the break in to the Nauer Engineering Shop.  
6.	Information S2312/14 and S2313/14 this is the break in where they cut a hole in the fence surrounding the engineering shop property.  Clearly planned and pre-meditated offending and they stole property worth a substantial amount of money.  The previous conviction record for these two defendants shows that probation for them is a waste of time.  The court has tried there done that, it did not work.  Imprisonment is now the only other penalty that can be imposed.  I hope Pati and Filipo that it is a lesson to you but that is up to you.  No one else can help you but yourself Pati and Filipo.  If you want to keep doing this sort of thing breaking and entering into properties get used to Tafaigata, it will become your new home.  
7.	An appropriate penalty would be 2 years for these thefts.  I reduce that to 18 months because of your age.  
8.	In your break in and theft of Wholesale Bargain Warehouse at Vaitele information S1794/14 and S1795/14.  Likewise convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison concurrent term.  
9.	In respect of you Pati charge S1560/14 of being found with instruments for a burglary convicted and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment concurrent term.  
10.	I will also order that your times in custody awaiting sentence for this matter is to be deducted from your 18 month term.  
11.	In respect of you Filipo there are other charges pending against you in the Youth Court information D658/13 and D659/13.  Those matters are adjourned to next Thursday, 06 November 2014 for mention in that court.  Ua lua malamalama i le fa’aiuga o lua mataupu Pati ma Filipo? (Defendants indicated they understood).
12.	Henry you were only convicted of one charge the Bargain Wholesale burglary and theft.  You are also a young man, you are only 18 years of age and you seem to have gotten yourself involved with the wrong people.  You should choose better friends than those two gentlemen or you will end up like those boys.  Being regular visitors to Tafaigata Prison.  
13.	Because of your age your good pre-sentence report and your clean police record I will give you a one-time chance today Henry.  Ae o le avanoa lena Henry o le avanoa fa’apitoa lava mo le asō ma le mataupu lenei.  Aua e te so’o i tama ia fa’atoa uma atu nei latou mataupu.  Na tu’u atu foi iai le avanoa a le Fa’amasinoga, tu’u i lalo o le va’ava’aiga a le Ofisa Fa’anofo Va’ava’aia ae le fa’aaogaina le avanoa.  Na toe o foi toe fai le la amio lea o le talepe fale ma le gaoi.  A e mulimuli iai i uiga fa’avalevalea na o lou iuga foi lena.  A e poto, fa’aaoga le avanoa lea ua tu’u atu ai oe i lalo o le ofisa, e sili ona toe sui le tulaga lena e agai iai lou olaga.  Ua e malamalama? (Defendant said yes).  A’o le mea le na ia, e pule a oe Henry.  Pau le mea e mafai ona fa’amanino atu, a toe aumai oe i se mea fa’apea e le toe iai seisi avanoa e mafai ona tu’u atu.  
14.	Ae mo le solitulafono lenei o le a fa’apea le fa’aiuga o le tatou mataupu.  O le a tu’u atu oe i lalo o le va’ava’aiga a le Ofisa Fa’anofo Va’ava’aia mo le 12 masina amata atu i le asō.  O tu’utu’uga fa’apitoa o le 12 masina o lau fa’anofo va’ava’aia muamua e sa le ava malosi, pia, pulū ma so’o se ituaiga ava malosi po’o le mariuana foi.  Ia e nofo i le mea e ioe iai le Ofisa Fa’anofo Va’ava’aia e te alala ai.  Tolu, e sa ona e toe pipi’i i tama ia e toalua na uma atu le latou mataupu po’o nisi foi tagata e fa’atonu atu e le ofisa e aua le toe pipi’i iai.  A alu atu le fa’atonuga usita’i iai.  O le mea lena e taumafai iai le ofisa o le mea mo le lelei o oe e le’o se mea mo matou. O le mea e te alala ai o le a ta’atia atu pea i le Ofisa Fa’anofo Va’ava’aia.  E 100 itula faigaluega e te galue fua ai i le polokalame a le ofisa, e fa’atonu atu e le ofisa le taimi ma le aso e fai ai au galuega ia.  Ma le vaega mulimuli e tatau ona e auai i le polokalame Toe Tomanatu po’o isi polokalame a le ofisa e fa’atonu ai oe e te auai iai.  O nisi tu’utu’uga o lou fa’anofo va’ava’aia Henry le tamaitai ofisa lena e alala mai a maea le mataupu ona fai lea o se lua tala.  Fa’aaoga lelei le avanoa lea ua tu’u atu ia oe Henry, aua e te so’o i lou uso, e leai se lumanai, fa’aaoga le faiai.   

JUSTICE NELSON