Terry Faumuina jailed after machete attacks at St Andrews and Claymore

A St Andrews man woke in his home to find he had been attacked by a machete-wielding man, only to realise the culprit was a friend who had been socialising in his home just hours beforehand.

Terry Faumuina has been jailed after machete attacks at St Andrews and Claymore. Picture: File shot

A machete-wielding man has been jailed after two terrifying attacks on friends nearly 17 months apart.

Terry Faumuina fronted court last week for sentencing after pleading guilty to using a machete to seriously injure two persons.

In March, 2019, Faumuina met his first victim, Adrian Stephens, who invited him to socialise at his home in St Andrews on March 4, 2019.

After Faumuina left about 1pm, Mr Stephens showered and fell asleep on his lounge when he was woken by pain, which felt as though “[his] right arm had been snapped”.

He saw blood everywhere and could not move his hand and saw Faumuina holding a machete.

He also saw another man standing there when Faumuina pointed the machete at him and asked where something was, but Mr Stephens did not know.

Mr Stephens was scared as his arm began throbbing, and blood was coming out of the right side of his chest from a laceration next to his nipple.

He began to “doze off” when Faumuina hit Mr Stephens‘s left arm with the machete blade and said, “don’t you f--king go to sleep”.

Mr Stephens thought he would die and saw that his legs and stomach were covered in blood.

A man was injured after being attacked with a machete at a home on Lochinver Place, St Andrews, (pictured). Picture: Google Maps

He saw a gaping wound on the back of his right hand with blood coming out of the laceration “like a tap”.

Surgery was required to repair the ligaments and tendons in his hand, which had been severed or damaged.

Mr Stephens could not move, and he closed his eyes before Faumuina hit his right arm with the machete and said, “rise and shine, you’re not going to sleep”.

Judge Noman said it was aggravating that the victim was attacked and injured in his own home.

“That he was attacked whilst asleep, and therefore vulnerable and unable to protect himself for the first hit, elevates the seriousness,” she said.

“I am satisfied the offender entered with the machete and immediately used it.”

According to Judge Noman, Mr Stephens told police he was terrified that day and now suffers from PTSD.

“When he goes to bed, this is all he thinks about; he will never go back to Campbelltown again; his life had changed forever; and that every time he closed his eyes, he saw the offender standing with the machete,” she recounted.

The second victim, Castro Kihiu, and Faumuina had been friends at one time.

At 11pm on August 30, 2020, a garage belonging to a friend of Faumuina caught alight at Claymore.

Mr Kihiu and a female were nearby before leaving the scene.

Sometime later, Faumuina arrived with two men and discussed how they were “going to get” Mr Kihiu, who they believed was responsible for the fire.

There is no suggestion Mr Kihiu was involved in this incident.

 

About 1.02am, Faumuina and co-offenders approached Mr Kihiu and a friend, who both saw they had weapons.

Mr Kihiu ran and was chased by the group, all wearing face coverings.

He jumped into a front yard and tried to jump a second fence; however, he couldn’t get over it, and the three men caught up to him.

Faumuina was holding a machete, a second man was holding a kitchen knife, and a third was holding a small knife.

Mr Kihiu was stabbed and stomped on, but managed to distract the three men and escape by calling out, “police are coming”.

The victim was taken to hospital with extensive injuries, and required surgery for lacerations and fractures.

“The offender and his co-offenders armed themselves and went looking for the victim,” Judge Noman said.

“The offence was committed by three persons acting together, with each liable for the acts of the others.“

Judge Noman said there had been a “profound impact” on the first victim and a “deleterious impact” on the second.

“The offender’s prospects of rehabilitation and of not reoffending are guarded,” she said.

“His mental health issues do not lessen the significance.”

Judge Noman said both sentences were reduced by five per cent to acknowledge guilty pleas.

Faumuina was sentenced to nine years and one month in jail with a non-parole period of five years and nine months. He will be eligible for parole from February 2027.