Man stabs wife, kills woman – court hears
Filled with anger and bitterness after a marriage breakdown, a man went to his wife’s workplace and attempted to kill her, a court has heard.
That woman survived – but another woman who tried to intervene was killed.
Soafa Niumagumagu has denied attempting to murder Puapuaga Niumagumagu, murdering Sagaia Kaisala, and assaulting Abdul Riyaz with his car in Ma¯ ngere Bridge, Auckland, in June 2019.
He is on trial at the High Court in Auckland. Crown prosecutor Luke Radich yesterday opened the case to the jury. In 2019, the marriage between the defendant and his wife, Puapuaga, had broken down, and she had moved out, he said.
‘‘He wasn’t coping, he was bitter and angry, and he spoke to others about his anger and desire for violence.’’ Over the weeks prior, Niumagumagu, who worked at a reinforcing factory, began to fashion a piece of metal into a weapon with a sharpened end, Radich said.
On June 20, he left his workplace in Mt Wellington and drove to Puapuaga’s work in Ma¯ ngere Bridge armed with the metal weapon.
At 3.30pm, she was finishing her shift and noticed the defendant, Radich said. ‘‘It quickly became clear what his intentions were. He told her he was going to kill her. He attacked her.
‘‘She was not going down easily, she fought and fought hard. She screamed and screamed loudly,’’ Radich said. A number of her work colleagues pulled him away, and he went back to his car and drove away.
But Niumagumagu returned and drove directly at Riyaz, striking him with force, Radich said.
He then drove into the factory compound, accelerating heavily, the court heard.
Kaisala, a 32-year-old mother of two who had come to Puapuaga’s aid, was trapped in a corner. Niumagumagu hit her hard with his car. Kaisala was propelled into the air and hit another vehicle, Radich said.
Kaisala died at the scene having multiple broken bones including spine, ribs and pelvis.