Convicted rugby star Brian Lima escapes jail term
Samoa rugby star Muli'agatele Brian Lima has escaped a jail term for assaulting his former wife and her partner.
Transcript
Samoa rugby star Muli'agatele Brian Lima has escaped a jail term for assaulting his former wife and her partner.
Lima was found guilty last month of five charges including causing grievous bodily harm, being armed with a dangerous weapon and issuing threats.
Our correspondent, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia was in court for the sentencing on Friday and spoke with Leilani Momoisea.
Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia: It was a very packed court room with all the supporters of both the defendant, Muli'agatele Brian Lima and the complainant, the former wife, Lemalu Sina Retzlaff. Brian Lima is lucky he escaped going to jail, but he is under 2 years supervision, under the supervision of the presiding judge, Ida Malosi. He has been given a lot of conditions of his two years supervision, and he's been given time to take counselling, and if he's going to be committing any offence within that two year period, he will be sentenced to jail for three and a half years. It was a five year starting point recommended by the prosecution, and it's lucky he's not going to jail. But the maximum sentence for two charges of grievous bodily harm is ten years in prison.
Leilani Momoisea: And I understand his ex-wife got up in court and asked for leniency for him?
Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia: Yes, that was a very big surprise for the court, for Lemalu, as a complainant to ask the court for leniency not to send her former husband to jail. Also, there was a testimony by the defendants eldest son. He asked the court for leniency too. Despite all that the judge has told the court, that the court is not for public opinion, it is a court of law and the court has to consider and appropriate sentence for the defendant. There were 10 references given to the judge for consideration, asking for leniency, the judge was saying that including in all the references she received in this matter in support of the defendant, was the Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, in his capacity as chairman of the Samoa Rugby Union. She said that he said that he made this reference in asking for leniency of the court for Brian Lima, not for what he did, because he goes against what he did, that means the offence, but in support of him as a person.
Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia says the defence had also asked for a discharge without conviction, but this was rejected, with Judge Ida Malosi saying the offence was serious and pre-meditated.
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