James Ackerman inquest: Touch judge saw Ackerman shoved while he lay on the ground

FRANCIS Molo knocked James Ackerman to the ground with a shoulder charge before kneeing him, picking him up by the collar and giving him a shove, an inquest has heard.

James Ackerman died two days after being injured in a rugby match. Picture: Supplied

FRANCIS Molo knocked James Ackerman to the ground with a shoulder charge before kneeing him, picking him up by the collar and giving him a shove, an inquest has heard.

The 25-year-old’s family switched off his life support two days after he suffered injuries from the tackle by the Norths Devils player during an Intrust Super Cup match in June 2015.

An inquest yesterday heard from one of Mr Ackerman’s Sunshine Coast Falcons teammates, Ryan Hansen, who described the sound of the onfield collision as “terrifying”.

James Ackerman died after being tackled during a rugby match in 2015.

He told the inquest that Mr Molo’s arm was tucked into his hip and he had “turned a little bit side on” as he hit the forward.

As the father-of-two lay injured on the ground, Mr Hansen said he saw Mr Molo knee him, pick him up by the collar and give him a “little shove”.

But Mr Molo’s barrister Peter Lane questioned Mr Hansen as to why he had not included those details in his statement to the inquest.

Another teammate described seeing an attempt by Mr Molo to shoulder charge Mr Ackerman earlier that match.

James Ackerman.

Pictures: Supplied

“(The tackle) wasn’t completed and play was continued and there was no penalty,” he said.

“I distinctly remember going to the referee – as I was the captain at the time – and asking why there wasn’t a penalty for that.”

Challenged about his memory, the teammate vehemently declared it was an attempted shoulder charge.

“It goes through my head on a daily basis that I could have done more as a captain to stop that in its tracks right there, so a step later there’s not a tackle that kills my mate,” he said.

Members of Mr Ackerman’s family, including his wife and mother, left the Coroner’s Court while footage of the match was played.

Mr Molo was slapped with a nine-match suspension after the Queensland Rugby League judiciary tribunal found him guilty of a “grade five” shoulder charge.