The rising NRL player, Samuela Fainu, has landed in hot water due to his ‘appalling’ driving record, a judge declared in court hearing. Fainu has wracked up an array of offenses over the years, most notably seven instances of exceeding the speed limit and three examples of operating a vehicle while disqualified or suspended, the court at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court was informed on Tuesday.
Fainu, a promising 19-year-old talent, recently secured a jaw-dropping $4 million contract with West Tigers and just lost an appeal against his latest sentence for driving whilst disqualified. Judge Stephen Hanley made clear to Fainu’s defence lawyer, Sam Saadat, that his client’s record was indefensible.
While he may be an up and coming footballer, that does not provide any justification for his recurring infractions, Hanley stated. In response, Saadat acknowledged Fainu’s ‘horrific’ record for someone his age but characterized him as a well-intentioned youth who has made poor decisions alone.
Despite Fainu’s driving whilst disqualified in June, mere 15 days after his license had been suspended for that same violation, Saadat argued that Fainu was working hard to become a responsible citizen. Subsequent to his guilty plea, the Parramatta Local Court declared a 12-month community correction order for Fainu in August, extending his license suspension by half a year.
During the appeal hearing incident, the prosecutor brought up to the court that police records indicated Fainu attempted to switch seats in his car when apprehended. On the prosecutor’s side, that suggestive act was a clear demonstration of Fainu’s guilt and recognition of his wrongdoing.
For a 19-year-old, Fainu’s record is particularly severe, the prosecutor pointed out, with his recurring offenses of driving while disqualified or suspended. Refuting Saadat’s claims of his client improving, the prosecutor implied that the opposite was true given Fainu’s repeated offenses.
Drawing attention to Fainu’s completion of a traffic offenders program, Judge Hanley highlighted that a character reference for Fainu had been deceptive as it downplayed his offenses. The judge perceived that previous disqualifications hadn’t deterred Fainu, who had twice been caught driving when he was not permitted to do so. The prior ruling of a six-month disqualification seemed too lenient to the judge, hence the appeal was turned down.
Sadly, Fainu is not the first from his family to reach NRL stardom but also falls on the wrong side of the law. His older sibling, Manase Fainu, was sentenced to over four years in prison for stabbing a youth leader during an altercation outside a Mormon church event.
Despite his denial of wounding Faamanu Levi outside the alcohol-free event organized by the Church of the Latter Day Saints at Wattle Grove in October 2019, a jury declared him guilty of one count of wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. On appeal, his conviction was upheld by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.