Soafa Niumagumagu was sentenced at the High Court in Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig
Soafa Niumagumagu was sentenced at the High Court in Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig
The family of a good Samaritan who was killed by a man on a violent rampage against his ex-wife said his sentencing today has finally brought closure.
Soafa Niumagumagu rammed his car into Sagaia Kaisala after she ran to help his ex-wife, whom he had stabbed multiple times in a jealous rage after their maritial breakdown in June 2019.
Kaisala instantly died. Niumagumagu was found guilty of her manslaughter during a three-week trial in May.
Minutes before her death he stabbed his former wife Puapuaga Matamua in the neck and head in the carpark of her workplace, Oji Fibre Solutions at Māngere Bridge.
She had ended their marriage for another man, several weeks earlier.
"It's been two years now, so now we can [put our] focus somewhere else."
The extended family are supporting Kaisala's two young children and husband.
"They're still young and I want them to enjoy what they can with the family we've got around," she said.
"That's our main focus, just to keep them happy," said Kaisala's cousin Souvenir Sanerivi.
Kaisala and Souvenir said they feel a sense of peace now that Niumagumagu has been sentenced, but there is still a part of the family missing.
"[Niumagumagu] gets to come back and ... we don't have that person, so that's a big miss for us. We have a big hole, he doesn't," said Sanerivi.
They said Kaisala was always helpful and would "always go out of her way for other people".
They remembered her great sense of humour and "beautiful" singing voice.
"She's in our worship team at church. Her voice is missing now," said Sanerivi.
Sentencing
"You hit Kaisala with your car, throwing her into another parked car. She died instantly. You then reversed and drove away," said Justice Mathew Downs at the High Court in Auckland today.
"Kaisala had comforted [Matamua] in the wake of your attack.
"You deliberately ran Ms Kaisala down at speed and drove away. This I am sure is what happened."
Justice Downs said Niumagumagu drove away "as if nothing had happened".
"[Kaisala] was an admirable victim in the wrong place at the wrong time, whose instinct was to tend to her friend Ms Matamua," said Crown lawyer Jessica Pridgeon.
Sagaia Kaisala, 32, died in the carpark of Oji Fibre Solutions on June 20, 2019.
Pridgeon said attempted murder was "wholly pre mediated".
Niumagumagu had sharpened a 20cm piece of steel at his workplace before driving to Matamua's work and stabbing her in the head and neck, the court heard.
"[Niumagumagu] fashioned a weapon at his work and went to Ms Matamua's place of work and tried to kill her. She thought she was going to die. He left, and he came back and he drove at speed towards Ms Kaisala.
"He did not stop. He went straight into the back of her."
Defence lawyer Sharyn Green asked Justice Downs to take into account that her client made an expression of remorse at the time he committed the offence.
"He was under extreme stress that day, having had his family life disintegrated," she said.
"Had he wanted to kill her, he could well have done... that he did not, was not entirely because he was pulled away by other people.
"He now appreciates he has lost everything and caused such tragedy to Ms Kaisala and her children."
Justice Downs said relationships end "messily" every day in this country.
"Violence in the context of a relationship, one that ended badly, does not make violence less serious. This is a proposition we must confront in this country.
"You intended not just seriously bodily harm, but to kill."
Family of Kaisala - cousin Souvenir Sanerivi and sister-in-law Tinoi Savea - sat in the back of the courtroom.
They had been present in court throughout Niumagumagu's trial earlier this year.
Kaisala's husband attended today's sentencing via audio-visual link.
It had been delayed since August, due to Covid-19 restrictions.
'It was the stupidest day of this man's life'
Niumagumagu was "beside himself with grief" and felt abandoned after his wife of nine years and mother of their daughter ended the marriage on June 7, defence lawyer Sharyn Green said during the trial.
He appeared by Matamua's car as she finished a shift at the packaging factory on Mahunga Drive on June 20, armed with a sharpened piece of steel.
He stabbed her head and neck multiple times, saying "I'm going to kill you".
Matamua struggled and yelled for help. Her colleagues saw her face "dripping with blood".
Kaisala was among the first people to rush to Matamua's aid, helping her to stop the bleeding. She sat her down on the steps of the smoko area.
Two people were found injured and one dead outside Oji Fibre Solutions in Māngere Bridge.
Meanwhile Abdul Riyaz was among a group of men who chased Niumagumagu's car out of the carpark and down Hastie Ave, trying to get him to leave.
Riyaz threw rocks at that car. A truck driver saw the commotion and tried to block Niumagumagu from driving away. He succeeded for a short time but Niumagumagu broke free, driving back towards Riyaz who tried to run out of the way.
He was hit by the car and flung in the air, witnesses said. They were shocked he survived.
But the violence didn't stop there.
Niumagumagu made his way back to the Oji's car park at speed, the court heard.
People were jumping out of the way - running behind trees and buildings fearing for their lives, witnesses said.
Soafa Niumagumagu was found guilty of attempted murder and manslaughter. Photo / Michael Craig
But Kaisala couldn't run fast enough. She was hit by the car and propelled into the back of another nearby stationary car, before she fell to the ground dead.
Despite colleagues performing CPR, she died before an ambulance arrived.
Niumagumagu then fled in his damaged car which he soon abandoned.
CCTV footage showed him walking towards Māngere Town Centre where he got in a taxi bound for Papatoetoe.
"It was the stupidest day of this man's life," said Green during the trial.
