A Tongatapu woman was given a suspended sentence for injuring her husband by pouring boiling water on him.
The court was told the wife was angry after she learned the husband was having an extramarital affair with another woman.
The wife also had an extramarital affair with another man while her husband was away overseas on a seasonal worker programme.
Angelina Davo Latu, 24, was upset when she found out about a conversation between her husband and his lover.
On May, 18, 2022, they had an argument about the victim’s affair before she and their children left their home.
Lātū believed the husband’s lover “was saying that the victim had told her the baby the defendant was carrying was not the victim’s”, a court judgement read.
Latu confronted her husband about it “but he kept lying and that’s when she poured the hot water into a jug and took into the bedroom and poured on the victim’s right upper thigh area”.
The court was told that at around 6am the day after their argument Lātū returned to the home and after a further argument about the whereabouts of the victim ‘s phone, Lātū walked out of their bedroom. She returned with the jug of boiling water.
“When the victim tried to take the jug from her, she poured it on the victim’s thigh and groin area.
“He suffered first and second degree burns to both his inner thighs and right groin with multiple large blisters in that area. About 4% of his total body was burned”.
Seasonal worker programme
The court heard that while the victim was overseas, the defendant conducted an extra marital affair and had borne a child as a result.
When the victim returned from overseas, he embarked on an affair of his own adding more trouble to an already fragile relationship.
At the time of the offending the defendant was six-month pregnant with the couple’s third child.
The Supreme Court judge convicted Lātū for causing serious bodily harm and was sentenced to one year imprisonment to be fully suspended, for a period of one year and six months on the following conditions, the defendant is to:
(a) not commit any offence punishable by imprisonment;
(b) reside where directed by her probation officer; and
(c) complete an anger management course under the direction of her probation officer. 19.
Failure to comply with any of those conditions may result in the suspension being rescinded, in which case, the Defendant will be required to serve her sentence in prison.
