13 February 2019, Apia Samoa. Medical reports reveal that the woman who was allegedly shot in the face earlier this year had also sustained a stab wound on her head.
This was revealed in Court by lead prosecutor Leone Su’a-Mailo during the proceedings of the bail application before Justice Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren this morning.
Prosecution is strongly opposing the bail application by defense counsel Leota Tima Leavai.
Peter Tulaga is facing an attempted murder charge however prosecution also revealed this morning that he could face additional charges once they are all finalised.
Sua-Mailo’s said during her submissions that medical reports clearly pointed to the victim having sustained injuries from two separate assaults.
“There is an assault resulting from using a sharp object and then there is an assault resulting from a gunshot,” she said.
“The first assault which strongly supports prosecution’s case is that there was actually a stabbing of the victim with a sharp object and after the stabbing the defendant then shot her with a 12 gage shot gun,” argued the prosecutor.
Referring to the affidavit of the victim’s sister, Sua-Mailo said in that affidavit, there was a mark on the victim’s forehead in between her eyebrows, a laceration across her face and another laceration on the other side of the victim’s cheek.
“The affidavit of Dr. Petueli confirms that the laceration which I had referred to was forced by a sharp object as opposed to a gunshot.”
“This evidence from Dr. Petueli and the photographs are consistent with the affidavits of the three nurses who were on duty at the emergency unit when the victim was brought in, and it is clear from their affidavits that when the victim was brought in by the defendant’s sister Melania Puni had said to the three nurses that the defendant had stabbed the victim first, before he had shot her.”
Leone told the Court this particular evidence shows the intention by the defendant to kill the victim.
“He had not only assaulted her with a sharp object and had aim these stabs on her face but had also resorted to shooting her on the face.”
