Tara Murray
Three men are set to spend more than 10 years in jail after a one day rampage resulted in the death of a father of two in Kealba.
Nathan Timoteo, Josaia Bolalailai, and Jonathan Fuatavai all pleaded guilty to manslaughter, to causing serious injury intentionally, and three counts of common assault, stemming from three incidents on February 20 last year.
They were sentenced in the Supreme Court on June 15.
The third of the incidents resulted in Ilaijah Kuru Kuru dying from head injuries after being hit repeatedly outside of St Paul’s Catholic College in Kealba.
Timoteo struck Mr Kuru with a piece of wood, while Fuatavai was armed with a weapon resembling the handle of an axe and Bolalailai struck him with a pickaxe.
The three men left the scene, still armed.
Bystanders later found Mr Kuru who never regained consciousness.
The incident was the third that day which were all linked.
In the first incident, the three men assaulted Isaac Tagatanuu in Sunshine after tailgating him and threatening him.
They stole his wallet and phone and also hit a man who tried to intervene.
Mr Tagatanuu went to Barry Tusa’s place after the assault. Two other friends, Peter Tuiliau and Kuru soon arrived. All four played rugby together.
They went for a drive and later came across the three men and tried to get Mr Tagatanuu’s belongings back.
The three men then chased the victims. Mr Tusa fell and the three men then repeatedly punched him to the head and body.
They then struck him with a pickaxe and metal pole. Mr Tuiliau was also punched in the incident.
Mr Tagatanuu, Mr Tuiliau and Mr Kuru later returned to pick up their car, when they were confronted again by the three men.
This is when they chased Mr Tagatanuu and Mr Kuru, with the assault on Mr Kuru proving fatal.
During the court case, Mr Kuru’s partner, Riana Haa, said the day she had to identify the body, and the day of his funeral were the worst days of her life.
