| Keohane attacker tells court he lied |
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| A SENTENCING hearing in the bashing and robbery of an Irish backpacker, David Keohane, in 2008 took several new twists when one of those convicted over the incident, Thomas Isaako, said his co-accused, Kane Desmond Tupuolamoui, had not touched the victim. That was despite the fact that Tupuolamoui, appearing before Judge Ron Solomon in the Downing Centre District Court yesterday for sentence, had pleaded guilty to robbery in company and inflicting grievous bodily harm. Isaako, who has already pleaded guilty and been sentenced to a minimum of 14 years imprisonment on the same charges, said yesterday he alone had assaulted Mr Keohane. The court adjourned to consider the ramifications of Isaako's change of heart, which contradicted statements he had made to police. Then, when it resumed, Isaako refused to answer any more questions, even when directed. Mr Keohane, who was 29, was assaulted while walking to his home in Coogee at 3am on August 9, 2008. As a result of multiple fractures to the skull and facial fractures, he was unconscious for 218 day, during which his family flew him to his home in County Cork, Ireland. Though he regained consciousness, Mr Keohane was confined to a wheelchair. His sister, Carol, had a victim's impact statement read to the court in which she spoke of a bright and ambitious young man whose life was marked by outstanding acts of generosity. She said his life had been profoundly affected. Isaako was acquitted on a charge of attempted murder but convicted of robbery in company and inflicting grievous bodily harm, and was sentenced in May last year. Tupuolamoui was arrested in Darwin last July and extradited to Sydney. A charge of attempted murder was withdrawn but he pleaded guilty to the same charges Isaako was convicted of. Yesterday Isaako, called by John Pickering, for the Crown, said he had lied in his statement to police. ''Kane did not assault him, I did,'' he said. He said that on the morning, he had said to Tupuolamoui, ''Let's rob someone''. He did not recall what Tupuolamoui had said, but that ''I went up there, seen someone, and rolled him''. He had lied when he had said to police it was Tupuolamoui's idea to commit the robbery. The judge adjourned the court to consider the ramifications of what Isaako had said, including the fact that he had indicated his intention to appeal against his sentence. When the court resumed, Isaako said: ''I refuse to answer any questions.'' When Judge Solomon directed him to answer questions, he said: ''Not answering nothing.'' The court was adjourned for Isaako's solicitor, Rebecca Dunlop, to speak to him, but when he again refused to answer questions, Judge Solomon adjourned the court until July 15 to resume the sentencing procedures. |
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