ASSAULT CASE IN HIGH COURT

The Attorney General’s office has charged Tu’uaga Samoa with second degree assault, a felony plus three misdemeanors: two counts of third degree assault and public peace disturbance. The defendant was arraigned in High Court yesterday on allegations that he assaulted three people.

Samoa, who is from Aua, is held on bail of $10,000 and is represented by the Public Defender’s office.

According to the government’s case, police received a call from Aua regarding an assault case, and when police arrived they met up with the first victim who was bleeding from his head. Court filings say that the defendant also stomped on the foot of a woman (the second victim) while she was carrying her seven-month-old infant.

It’s alleged that when police spoke to victim #1, he said the defendant had walked towards him in the Rainmaker Store in the village of Aua, and pulled out a knife and then jumped over the counter.  The victim said he tried to move away when the defendant threw jars full of candies at him.

The third victim, another woman, heard the noise and came out from the back.  It is alleged that the defendant ran toward the third victim and chocked her and attempted to pull her back.

Court records say that Victim#1 and Victim#2 attempted to stop the defendant but the defendant punched Victim#1 five times while holding a knife in his hand, cutting Victim#1’s forehead. 

During his arraignment in High Court, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges against him. Samoa’s pretrial conference is now scheduled for January.