An inmate who held a prison nurse hostage with a homemade knife more than two years ago was sentenced yesterday to 20 years' imprisonment, with a mandatory six years and eight months because he is a repeat offender. Prisoner who held nurse
hostage gets 20 years
By Debra Barayuga
dbarayuga@starbulletin.comAlomalietoa Sua was also sentenced to 10 years for promotion of prison contraband.
The two terms will be served concurrently, but consecutive to the term he is currently serving for first- and second-degree robbery convictions.
His first trial in February ended in a mistrial when Sua, who was representing himself, told the court at the last minute that he wanted an attorney. At his second trial in August, Sua again represented himself. Trial was suspended for a day or so after the shackles he wore apparently caused him to fall in the courtroom. He was taken to the hospital after complaining of numbness and tingling.
Shortly after he was taken away, eight prison inmates who were to testify for Sua apparently clogged two toilets in the Circuit Court cellblock, causing the water to overflow in the cellblock and third-floor hallway.
Sua comes from a family of seven brothers, all of whom were incarcerated simultaneously in 1996 in Hawaii's prison system for various charges including murder, attempted murder, assault and armed robbery.
