The man who killed a Tongan New Zealand resident father who visited Tonga last year, in a drink-driving crash has been sent to jail.
In the Supreme Court on Tuesday last week, Simione Ikahihifo, 55, was jailed for seven years and six months, for drink-driving and speeding causing the death of ‘Aisea Kaifa, 66.
Judge Laki Niu said Ikahihifo “knowingly drove” while he was already drunk.
“You knew very well what you were doing, namely, that you were drunk and that you should not be driving. Yet you chose to drive at excessive speed, such that you had to overtake the vehicle in front of you – knowing very well there was another vehicle coming towards you”, the judge said.
When police asked Ikahihifo about what happened he chose not to say anything and did not cooperate.
The judge said: “You did not want to take the responsibility for your action. I consider that you have only pleaded guilty because the evidence against you were overwhelming”.
Mr Niu said he considered that the mitigation and reduction of the starting point from 9 years to seven and a half years have been generous to Ikahihifo.
“Any further reduction of that term by way of suspension will weaken the deterrence which can only be achieved if the actual time you serve is kept to the half way mark of seven years six months”.
Ikahihifo was sentenced to seven years and six months imprisonment for dangerous driving causing death.
For dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm he was sentenced to four years and two months imprisonment. Both sentences are to be served concurrently, so that he only serve a total of seven years six months imprisonment.
Mr Niu said Ikahihifo “deliberately chose to overtake”, a vehicle knowing that the oncoming vehicle was right up close to him and that he might collide with it.
The driver of that on-coming vehicle was Kaifa.
“He was so taken by surprise, that all he could do was shout “Oiaue!”
Ikahihifo’s vehicle and his vehicle crashed into each other.
Kaifa died instantly as a result of the crash.
His foster daughter, ‘Ana Na’a, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of Kaifa’s vehicle suffered severe fractures to both her legs and other injuries.
The court was told Ikahihifo apologised to the deceased’s daughter and sought her forgiveness for what he did. The daughter did forgive him wholeheartedly, not only for herself but also for all her siblings.
Ikahihifo’s sisters in the U.S. sent their condolences and sympathies to the family of the deceased. They also sent them nearly US$10,000 to help with the shipping of Kaifa’s body to New Zealand, the court judgement read.
