A male from Faatoia, Junior Masoe, was handed two and a half years imprisonment for stabbing his own brother after a drinking session on the 12th of September 2020.
The victim was stabbed two times by his brother, intoxicated with Rover vodka which was specifically mentioned in the police summary of facts as being the type of alcohol the brothers had been drinking.
The Courts last year highlighted the dangers of locally produced Rover and other name brands of vodka calling for authorities to take tighter controls and raise public awareness of its impacts.
“The relevant authorities are encouraged to address the issue of locally produced vodka as it has featured largely in offending behavior which has come before the Courts..”, said Justice Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren in a November 2020 sentencing of four young men for murder.
This week the Court heard the Masoe brothers were having their drinking session just behind Masoe’s house when he got too drunk and went inside to the kitchen where he started to abuse his wife and his sister.
The victim involved himself when he jumped in to try and calm his brother down. The victim told his brother to lower his voice as it was quite late at night and they were waking up their neighbors.
Junior Masoe then grabbed the kitchen knife and stabbed his brother’s back. The police report states that Masoe had pulled the knife and stabbed his brother again on the left side of his back.
Masoe’s brother was treated by doctors at Motootua National Hospital and survived the attack with six stitches; none of his vital organs were affected.
Justice Fepuleai Ameperosa Roma considering all circumstances chose a starting point of four years and after concessions sentenced Masoe to two years and six months.
Mr Masoe was also convicted in 2008 and 2014 of similar offences.
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