Sioeli Vaihola Holani pleads guilty to threatening violence and common assault

A construction worker threatened to kill a man and his brother and while on bail assaulted a woman with a metal shifter. Find out why.

A Whitsunday construction worker threatened to kill a man and his brother and while on bail assaulted a woman with a metal shifter.

Sioeli Vaihola Holani’s vile behaviour was against two victims arising out of the same incident that occurred on September 8, 2021 in the Whitsundays.

Mackay District Court heard he had gone to a man’s home at night and yelled “come outside you f--king p---y” and “I’m gonna kill you and your f--king brother”.

The 37 year old was arrested but released on bail and had been on bail when he went to a woman’s Cannonvale home on September 10, engaged in an argument “before throwing a metal shifter at her” striking her upper left arm.

The court heard in a victim impact statement the woman claimed she suffered “significant adverse effects over and above” the physical consequences of the assault.

What sparked it all?

Barrister Scott McLennan said on September 8 a group of men including the first victim and his brother had allegedly assaulted his client.

“During the assault he was knocked to the ground and he dropped some cash,” Mr McLennan said, adding the second victim had also been around when this occurred.

Mr McLennan said Holani heard the second victim had allegedly picked up his money, so he went to her home to demand it back.

However he was arrested and spent 251 days in custody on remand.

Holani, via video link, pleaded guilty to threatening violence in the night and common assault.

Mr McLennan said Holani had worked in construction since leaving school and had a good work history.

The court heard he was assaulted about three years ago in Mackay and has a result lost vision in his right eye - after his recovery he moved to Airlie Beach to take up recovery work after Cyclone Debbie.

Judge John Allen said Holani “should know better than to act like a teenage hooligan”, but accepted his time in custody on remand was an adequate penalty for the offending.

“Hopefully it’s brought home to you that if you continue to offend given your criminal history and your mature age, you’ll end up spending (more) time in prison,” Judge Allen said.

Holani was granted immediate release. Convictions were recorded and the 251 days was declared as time already served.