A PROMISING young Robinvale rugby player has been jailed over his part in fights, one involving bats, axes and shovels, and assaults on a number of victims.
Before Mildura Magistrates’ Court this week, Supi Lanumata pleaded guilty to charges including intentionally causing injury, two counts of unlawful assault, affray, criminal damage and theft of a motor vehicle.
About 12.20am on February 7, the 19-year-old was in a group that approached and talked to two victims and their friends who were sitting on a bench in Langtree Mall.
Lanumata and two others asked the group a question but before they could answer punched one of the men in the face multiple times.
The second victim attempted to run but fell to the ground.
The court was told Lanumata and two others ran up to the second victim, where the accused picked up a metal scooter and threw it at the victim, hitting him in the head.
The assault was captured on CCTV.
In the early hours of May 9, Lanumata stole a car valued at $6000 from a Melbourne driveway. Police later finding the accused’s fingerprints on the dumped car.
In June while leaving a house party in Robinvale, Lanumata repeatedly punched and kicked a man who had been asked to leave the premises after it was believed he had smashed a window.
The court was told the accused and others laid into the victim, who was on the ground.
A woman was punched in the back of the head as she attempted to stop the attack.
Lanumata and others then followed the victim and woman home, wanting to fight.
Police said a large fight broke out among about eight people.
The front window of a house was broken and two cars smashed with bats, shovels and other weapons. Police said some of the offenders were armed with chains and axes.
An elderly community leader was sitting in the front room when the window was smashed and sprayed with glass, later saying he was “petrified”.
Multiple police units were needed to bring the situation under control.
Lanumata’s counsel said he “drank to excess” and the incidents could have been sorted out (without violence) or reported to police.
He said the teenager was a talented rugby league player who had moved to Melbourne in 2017 to play.
He had returned to Robinvale in 2019 after tearing a knee ligament and, because he wasn’t training or playing, did not have a focus.
Magistrate Michael Coghlan noted Lanumata’s stature and warned him of the damage he could cause.
“For your age you’re quite a solid man and, unfortunately, if you seek to involve yourself in violence, that can result in significant harm to the victims,” he said.
He was sentenced to 45 days’ jail and has already served 16 days on remand.
