A court docket has been advised that MNS Fenu missed out on potential hundreds of thousands in profession earnings and Des Hasler in contrast him to a few of the greatest he had earlier than his profession minimize, when he stabbed a church chief within the again.
Three years in the past Fenu was on his approach to turn into one of many shining lights of the NRL.
However he now faces the prospect of spending his prime years in jail after being discovered responsible of placing a steak knife behind Famanu Levy at a Mormon church dance in Wattle Grove in south-west Sydney.
Fanu, 24, sat quietly in Parramatta’s District Courtroom on Friday as he waited to study his destiny after a jury earlier this 12 months discovered him responsible of 1 rely of injuring a person with intent to trigger grievous bodily hurt. did.
The jury discovered that Fenu stabbed Mr. Levi in the again close to his shoulder blades, together with 4 of his companions, throughout a brawl within the carpark of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the night of October 25, 2019 .
In a sufferer affect assertion given to the court docket, Mr Levy detailed how he was nonetheless dealing with the bodily results of getting his lungs pierced with a knife, forcing him to surrender on his dream of turning into a police officer. .
“I get up in terror most nights, as a result of it haunts my goals,” Mr Levy mentioned in a sufferer affect assertion submitted throughout a sentencing listening to on Friday.
“I am all the time watching my again and in fixed worry that this may not occur once more.”
It was not at difficulty through the trial that Fenu was within the carpark and had his arm in a sling after present process shoulder surgical procedure a month earlier.
However he denied being stabbed or performed any position within the controversy, claiming it was a case of mistaken identification.
Fanu’s attorneys have beforehand mentioned they might attraction towards the jury’s determination.
Throughout their trial, the court docket was advised that through the night, two of Fanu’s mates – together with Una “Massive Buck” Finga – had been concerned in an altercation on the dance flooring and brought out of the church.
The group then went to a close-by Coles carpark and CCTV footage confirmed Fenu and his mates leaping over a concrete fence again into the churchyard the place the brawl befell.
An eyewitness, Tony Kwach, advised the court docket that he had seen Fenu stabbing Mr. Levy along with his arm in a sling.
On the time of the stabbing, Fenu was marked as one of many rising stars of the NRL and was set to inherit the Sea Eagles quantity 9 jersey in 2020.
Nonetheless, he was pitched below the NRL’s no-fault coverage and has not taken the sphere since September 2019.
Fenu’s barrister Margaret Cunin SC argued that the Tongan Take a look at consultant on the time was on a trajectory to earn a million-dollar-a-year contract.
Mr Hustler in contrast Fenu to a few of the biggest gamers he had labored with in a private reference to the court docket.
“As coach of the Manly Sea Eagles, I’ve had the privilege of working with a few of the greatest gamers to have ever performed the sport,” Mr Hasler mentioned in his assertion.
“In scripting this brief observe to share my ideas about MNS, I in contrast the qualities, expertise, talents and pure disposition of the so known as greatest to MNS and really believed that MNS had all of it and way more. .
“This man had a post-2019 world. I’ve little doubt that he was made for greatness.”
Mr Hasler mentioned he hoped Fenu might be a “phoenix” and attain “the fireplace of his challenges” upon his launch.
Fanu’s mom, Lille Fanu, advised the court docket on Friday that her son was instrumental in taking good care of his youthful brothers and sisters.
He mentioned that their household, which included eight youngsters, struggled to make ends meet and on the time of the stabbings he meant to purchase the household a home.
Requested if she was the type of one who would stab somebody, Ms Fenu mentioned: “It is not the MNS I do know and it is not the MNS I picked up.”
Ms Cunin argued that the stab was not “vicious”, however relatively “instantaneous, easy, terrifying, however an utility of the knife”, noting that Finau had prompted no hurt after the primary stab wound.
Fanu will return to court docket in November for the second half of his sentence, earlier than being sentenced at a later date.
initially printed ‘Had all of it’: The NRL star who missed out on hundreds of thousands