Junior Amone of the St George Illawarra Dragons faces jail after being found guilty of arming himself with a hammer and chasing a tradesman off a roof during an argument in Wollongong last year.
Junior Amone, 21, and his father Talatau Amone were found guilty in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday of a slew of counts, including assault, stemming from an altercation outside their Warrawong house in November.
Amone’s NRL career is currently in doubt after the Dragons suspended him from all club activities indefinitely.
‘The Dragons acknowledge the guilty decision handed down today in Wollongong Court to player Talatau Amone in relation to an incident last November,’ the club stated in a statement.
‘As a result of this outcome, Amone has been barred from participating in any club events until further notice.’
Amone, 21, will now face sentencing hearings later this year, with magistrate Gabriel Fleming telling the court on Wednesday that he was considering sending him to prison.
After being accused of leaping onto a roof at a jobsite and threatening a tradesman with a hammer, leading him to fall two stories, the NRL player’s legal team characterised it as a case of mistaken identification.
Talatau Amone pled not guilty to property damage, intimidation, entering a structure or land with the intent to commit an indictable offense, and assault resulting in actual bodily harm.
Junior Amone also pled not guilty to property damage, intimidation, and assault resulting in actual bodily harm.
Ms Fleming found them guilty of all charges in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday.
According to the court, Jai King and Dean West were working on a property opposite the Amone residence when they became caught in a verbal altercation with a group of men about a Nissan Navara parked on a nature strip.
Talatau Amone was also accused of elbowing the rear-view mirror, reaching into the vehicle, and snapping off the indicator.
NRL star Amone is said to have leaped on top of the car while his father threatened the tradie.
According to Ms Fleming, Junior Amone then ascended onto the roof while wielding a hammer.
Mr. King attempted to flee by jumping to a neighboring roof, but fell and hit an air-conditioning unit on the way down. He was seriously injured, including a broken hand.
Mr King described his attacker to the court as tall, strong, and with a thin moustache.
According to Ms Fleming, the description alone did not positively identify Junior Amone.
She did say, however, that given other evidence linking him to the incident, she was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Junior Amone was the guy who chased Mr King from the rooftop.
Ms Fleming considered that earlier that day, Junior Amone was seen on CCTV at the airport wearing clothes matching the victim’s description, and his fingerprints were found on the vehicle.
Junior Amone, who was convicted guilty and now faces an uncertain future, hung his head in court on Wednesday.
He was originally restrained
His playing career, however, is now in doubt after the club turned him down.
Junior Amone and his father did not speak as they left court on Wednesday, but their lawyer, Elias Tabchouri, indicated that they will appeal the conviction.
‘We accept any court ruling, but that doesn’t imply we agree with it,’ Mr Tabchouri added.
‘And we will take additional steps in response to that judgment. This situation is still happening. This situation is far from over. We will continue on our path.’
Both men faced a jail sentence, either in the community through a corrections order or full-time imprisonment, according to the court.
Mr Tabchouri requested that the sentencing procedures be postponed until later this year.
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