Semisi Pomale, 35, recently appointed as deputy manager for the Tongan national rugby team, was discharged without conviction following his involvement in a 2021 Auckland assault that led to the death of MMA fighter Fau Vake.
Pomale, the last of four defendants, had pleaded guilty to common assault, avoiding the manslaughter charges faced by others. Judge Peter Winter ruled on Pomale’s discharge, citing his lesser role in the assault.
The 2021 incident saw Fau Vake, 25, and his brother, Ika, confronted by Pomale and three others on Auckland’s Symonds Street after a verbal exchange. While Pomale’s co-defendant Daniel Havili delivered the fatal “coward punch” to Fau Vake, prosecutors noted that Vake and his brother did not instigate violence.
Pomale had slapped Vake, but defense counsel Mark Ryan argued that Pomale had not anticipated the assault escalating to a fatal level. He has since abstained from alcohol and attended anger management courses.
Pomale’s lawyer emphasized that a conviction would severely impact his professional responsibilities with the Tongan rugby team, citing the frequent international travel required for his position. The defense also presented an affidavit from head coach Tevita Tuʻifua, who noted Pomale’s key role in logistics and team management.
Crown prosecutor Vanshika Sudhakar opposed the request, arguing that Pomale’s involvement was critical in creating the “tragic circumstances” that led to Vake’s death. Judge Winter, however, concluded Pomale’s actions were out of character and ordered him to donate $2,000 to a charity as a condition of the discharge.
Absent from court were Fau Vake’s family, who previously expressed the profound loss of a brother and father, mourning the senseless act that took his life.
Source: New Zealand Herald
