A young man who broke into the Robert Louis Stevenson Secondary School with his friends has been jailed to 14 months by the Supreme Court.

Sosene Asomaliu of Nuu-fou and six other villages appeared before Supreme Court Justice, Feapuleai Ameperosa Roma for sentence recently.

He is 27-year-old, single and was charged with one count of burglary and one count of theft connected to an incident around September this year. He pleaded guilty to the charges and did not have a lawyer to represent him.

According to the summary of facts, the defendant planned the burglary with his co-defendants of the Robert Louis Secondary School at Tafaigata.

He broke into a store room and stole a weed eater, two barrels of paint, two machetes and a chain saw.  The total value of the stolen items is $556.00.  

The break in was reported to police and a month later they confiscated the properties from a third party at Vaitele-fou.

In October, he was cautioned and charged where he and admitted to the offence claiming that alcohol was involved.

He confirmed he went to Vaitele and sold the items to a third party for $250 tala and used the money for alcohol.

The defendant was previously convicted of aggravated robbery on 8 March 2022 and sentenced to one year and seven months imprisonment.

The probation record states the defendant was subsequently sentenced by the Family Violence Court to three months imprisonment on charges of insulting words, threatening words and resisting arrest.  

He was released from prison in April 2023 and five months later he committed the offence as he appeared before Justice Roma.

“There are far too many cases of alcohol related break-ins by youths who steal and sell items to satisfy their alcohol addiction,” said the Supreme Court Justice.

“The impact of such offending on victims and the general public is an important consideration.  In your case, a custodial sentence is the only appropriate penalty. “

Asomaliu was given a sentence of 14 months for burglary charge and 12 months for theft which he was ordered to serve the terms concurrently.