A man who attempted to kill a man with an axe in retaliation to comments about a female cousin will be spending seven and half years behind bars.

Alatuna Mailo, 37, from Ti'avea and Foailalo was sentenced by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. He was charged with attempted murder, to which he pleaded guilty.

According to the summary of facts, the defendant and the complainant were drinking alcohol on 12 July 2024. It turned ugly when Mailo and the victim argued because the complainant commented about Mailo's female cousin.

The defendant became angry and fetched an axe from his house at Gautavai and went back to the faleo'o where the victim was sitting and struck him on the back of his head.

The victim fell to the ground. Mailo then sat the victim up so he could strike him on the neck but the victim fell to the ground and fainted.

Judge Justice Vui Clarence Nelson made it clear during sentencing that what the defendant did was serious and that he intended to kill the victim.

He said there was no reason for Mailo to get angry because what the victim said was not bad.

Justice Vui told the defendant that such crimes were serious and the court had to make sure that the penalty given sent out a message of the seriousness of the offence.

The court had a starting point of 10 years for the sentence. Two and a half years were deducted for his guilty plea.

Mailo's counsel, Leone Su'a-Mailo requested the court for her client to be taken to see a doctor as he was not in a good condition. Mailo appeared in court with a swollen face.

Justice Vui told the prosecutor Fraser Lawrance to advise the police of the need for medical attention.