Man avoids jail, deportation after violent junior footy brawl in Brisbane
When tensions boiled over at a Mother's Day junior footy match Talapuse Tuialii took part in a brutal assault on a rival fan in front of children, including their own.
Footage was shown in Brisbane District Court on Thursday of a 35-year-old man being set upon in front of his son after a grandstand altercation spilled onto the field in May 2021.
The man suffered a fractured nose, cheekbones and eye sockets after an under-13 rugby league game between Wynnum Manly and Logan Brothers southeast of Brisbane turned violent.
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Tensions boiled over at a Mother's Day junior footy match. Nine
Samoa-born father-of-five Tuialii, 38, faced jail and deportation after the assault on a fellow dad.
Tuialii had attended the game with a group of supporters to watch his son play for Logan.
The other man was barracking for Wynnum, which featured his son.
The game began with friendly banter in the grandstand, the court heard.
However, tensions rose when the man and Tuialii's group were told to calm down by officials after calling out to the referee.
When the man complained after a Wynnum player was sent off, he was approached by Tuialii and members of his group.
The man was told to "get out of here right now" before being kicked in the back by one of Tuialii's co-offenders.
The man fled the grandstand but was chased onto the field by Tuialii and three others.
He was assaulted by all four men as families looked on.
A spectator filmed the incident on their phone, with 39 seconds of footage shown in court.
The man was punched in the back and side of the head by Tuialii who was pulled away.
The man fell to the ground, and was kicked and stomped on by co-offenders.
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A man suffered a fractured nose, cheekbones and eye sockets after a rugby league game turned violent. Nine
Tuialii left before police arrived but was arrested two days later.
The victim was taken to hospital and treated for multiple facial fractures.
Judge Vicki Loury told Tuialii via a Samoan interpreter that his offending had a significant impact on the man.
He remembered it as being "too distressing and re-traumatising," she said after reading the victim impact statement.
"One of the other features of the impacts that he speaks of is his son witnessing such a violent attack upon him and how that would impact upon him."
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The court heard Tuialii's criminal history included a 2009 road rage incident when he placed another motorist in a head lock and punched him a number of times.
Defence barrister Gavin Webber said if Tuialii received a jail sentence of 12 months or more and had to serve any of that period it would trigger a mandatory deportation.
"It will break the family apart," he said.
Tuialii pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm in company.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, wholly suspended for two years, and ordered to pay $1500 restitution to the victim.
"Your involvement in this incident has put the livelihood of your own family at risk as they rely upon you for financial support," Judge Loury said.
"Violence has no place at a children's sporting event."
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