A rising NRL star “switched seats” in an try to get out of the most recent cost on an unenviable driving document which a choose slammed as “appalling,” a court docket has heard.
Samuela Fainu dedicated seven rushing offences and three counts of driving whereas disqualified or suspended within the quick few years he’s spent behind the wheel, Sydney’s Parramatta District Court was advised on Tuesday.
The gifted 19-year-old, who lately signed an eye-watering $4 million cope with Wests Tigers, didn’t enchantment his sentence for his newest driving whereas disqualified offence.
Judge Stephen Hanley advised defence lawyer Sam Saadat his consumer “has an appalling record”.
“He may well be a promising footballer, but that doesn’t excuse him from committing these offences,” he mentioned.
Mr Saadat advised the court docket his consumer’s “got a horrific record for someone of his age” however mentioned he’s “a good kid who’s made some mistakes”.
“He’s continuing to learn and he’s doing the best he can to establish himself as a law-abiding citizen,” Mr Saadat mentioned.
The court docket heard Fainu was caught driving whereas disqualified in June, simply 15 days after he had his licence disqualified for driving whereas suspended.
He pleaded responsible and was sentenced to a 12-month group correction order at Parramatta Local Court on August 8, together with his licence disqualified for an extra six months.
During Tuesday’s enchantment listening to, the prosecutor advised the court docket the police truth sheet described Fainu “switching seats with another person he was in the vehicle with” when police pulled him over, which was “evidence of consciousness of guilt and knowing what he was doing was wrong”.
“He’s only 19 and has amassed quite a significant history, the most serious being driving while disqualified or suspended as a third offence,” the prosecutor advised the court docket.
“My friend (Mr Saadat) says he’s been learning and growing in the community. Evidently he has not, or he wouldn’t be committing an offence such as this”.
Judge Hanley famous Fainu accomplished a visitors offenders program however mentioned certainly one of his character references was deceptive, as a result of the reference wrote that Fainu was charged with rushing, not driving whereas disqualified.
“The previous disqualification appears to have had no impact on him at all, having driven twice within a small amount of time while not being allowed to drive,” Judge Hanley mentioned.
“In my view, the magistrate was very lenient in only disqualifying him for six months … The appeal is dismissed”.
The teenager just isn’t the primary spectacular NRL participant in his household, or the primary to land in hassle with the regulation.
Last 12 months, his 24-year-old brother, Manase Fainu, was sentenced to at the very least 4 years and three months in jail for the much more severe crime of stabbing a youth chief throughout a bloody brawl exterior a Mormon church dance.
A jury discovered him responsible of 1 depend of wounding an individual with intent to trigger grievous bodily hurt.
The former Manly Sea Eagles hooker denied stabbing Faamanu Levi exterior the alcohol-free occasion organised by the Church of the Latter Day Saints at Wattle Grove in October 2019.
He appealed his conviction on the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal earlier this month, however his enchantment was dismissed.
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
