St George Illawarra playmaker Junior Amone has been found guilty of arming himself with a hammer and chasing a tradesman off a roof.
Junior Amone and his father Talatau Amone pleaded not guilty to a string of charges in Wollongong Local Court earlier this year.
Watch every match of The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Live on Kayo Sports. Starts THU 6 OCT 7:30PM AEDT. Join Kayo now and start streaming instantly >
The NRL player’s legal team had described it as a case of mistaken identity after he was accused of jumping onto a roof at a worksite and threatening a tradesman with a hammer, causing him to fall two storeys.
The court was told that Jai King and Dean West were working on a house when they became embroiled in a verbal argument with a group of men over a Nissan Navara that was parked on a nature strip.
The court was told that Talatau Amone elbowed the rear-vision mirror and reached into the vehicle and snapped off the indicator.
Mr King jumped to a neighbouring roof to escape Junior Amone wielding the hammer, falling and hitting an airconditioning unit on the way down, suffering serious injuries.
Talatau Amone pleaded not guilty to damaging property, intimidation, entering a building or land with the intention to commit an indictable offence and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Junior Amone also pleaded not guilty to damaging property, intimidation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
On Wednesday, in Wollongong Local Court, magistrate Gabriel Fleming found them guilty of all charges.
Ms Fleming took into account that earlier that day Junior Amone was seen on CCTV at the airport wearing clothes similar to the description given by the victim and his fingerprints were found on the vehicle.
Junior and Talatau will be sentenced on December 6 and each face a maximum penalty of seven years’ jail.
The news comes as a huge blow to incoming coach Shane Flanagan, with Amone the club’s first choice five-eighth ahead of the 2024 season.
The Dragons are very short in the halves department and now Amone’s immediate playing future is in doubt.
Red V powerbrokers allowed Jayden Sullivan to leave the club early and sign with the Tigers ahead of 2024, while Ben Hunt has also previously sought a release from his contract.
The club’s halfback and captain wanted out following the sacking of former coach Anthony Griffin but is reportedly resigned to the fact he will wear the red and white next season.
New signing Kyle Flanagan could now be called upon to wear the No.6, having signed a two-year deal earlier this year.
The 25-year-old, however, shifted to a bench utility role in 2023 and is a natural halfback.
Elsewhere, Jack Bird hadn’t played in the halves since Round 6 of the 2022 season.
More to come
