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Sydney Roosters footballer Setaimata Sa has had convictions for assault and affray overturned following a brawl in Wollongong last year.
The rugby league player yesterday successfully appealed to Wollongong District Court after being sentenced to 250 hours' community service for fracturing the skull of a man he punched in a Crown St fight in February last year.
In quashing the convictions, Wollongong District Court Judge Paul Conlon agreed Sa had acted in self-defence and that his "single blow" had been reasonable.
During a three-day hearing in Wollongong Local Court last year, Sa, 22, admitted he punched the man but claimed he had acted in self-defence after another man had shouldered him, causing him to lose his balance.
When he had stood up again, the victim was "in his face" and he had feared he was about to be hit, the Kiwi international said during the hearing.
He punched the victim once in the face, causing the victim to hit his head on the pavement, the court was told.
The incident occurred during a brawl between up to 15 men outside Oporto's chicken restaurant, about 3.30am on February 9, last year.
Some of the men had been celebrating a bucks party, while Sa and other footballers were in the city for a promotional event.
During the hearing, Sa told the court he had entered the melee to assist team-mate Shaun Kenny-Dowall and had intended to act as a "peacemaker".
Judge Conlon quashed the conviction for recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm and said the subsequent conviction for affray could therefore not stand.
Outside court, Sa said he was "relieved, that it's all over ... and I can move on".
However, he still faces charges of assault, resisting arrest, failure to leave a licensed premises and malicious damage in relation to a separate incident outside Coogee Bay Hotel on August 30.
He was stood down from all club activities following the drunken incident.
Sa will appear in Waverley Local Court on October 14.
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/n...d/1633692.aspx
The rugby league player yesterday successfully appealed to Wollongong District Court after being sentenced to 250 hours' community service for fracturing the skull of a man he punched in a Crown St fight in February last year.
In quashing the convictions, Wollongong District Court Judge Paul Conlon agreed Sa had acted in self-defence and that his "single blow" had been reasonable.
During a three-day hearing in Wollongong Local Court last year, Sa, 22, admitted he punched the man but claimed he had acted in self-defence after another man had shouldered him, causing him to lose his balance.
When he had stood up again, the victim was "in his face" and he had feared he was about to be hit, the Kiwi international said during the hearing.
He punched the victim once in the face, causing the victim to hit his head on the pavement, the court was told.
The incident occurred during a brawl between up to 15 men outside Oporto's chicken restaurant, about 3.30am on February 9, last year.
Some of the men had been celebrating a bucks party, while Sa and other footballers were in the city for a promotional event.
During the hearing, Sa told the court he had entered the melee to assist team-mate Shaun Kenny-Dowall and had intended to act as a "peacemaker".
Judge Conlon quashed the conviction for recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm and said the subsequent conviction for affray could therefore not stand.
Outside court, Sa said he was "relieved, that it's all over ... and I can move on".
However, he still faces charges of assault, resisting arrest, failure to leave a licensed premises and malicious damage in relation to a separate incident outside Coogee Bay Hotel on August 30.
He was stood down from all club activities following the drunken incident.
Sa will appear in Waverley Local Court on October 14.
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/n...d/1633692.aspx
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