Solomone Piutau Pinekoula’s football dream shatters after armed robbery

A New Zealand man who came to Australia for a professional football career now faces deportation, after he pleaded guilty to robbing his neighbour.

Ipswich Police Station and Courthouse. Photo: David Nielsen / The Queensland Times

Solomone Piutau Pinekoula came to Australia for a professional football career, but his dream has been shattered after he was convicted of armed robbery.

The 22-year-old local sports star was charged with one count of armed robbery in company with decimal violence and one count of unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment or abuse (domestic violence offence).

The Richlands man pleaded guilty to both offences on Friday in Ipswich District Court.

The court heard that a 42-year-old man woke up to loud noises on May 29 last year, discovering Pinekoula and another co-offender in his room.

The defendant wore a black mask and a hoodie, with a hammer in his hands.

The two forced the victim to stay in bed and demanded to know “where the sh-t was”.

The co-offender then hit the victim’s right wrist, causing a cut with the knife he held, before he made threats and damaged the house.

The defendant told the complainant to help search the house while taking off his mask in the meantime.

The two left as they couldn’t find any drugs at the address.

Some keys, identification cards, $30 and a mobile phone were taken from the house.

The victim called the police immediately as he recognised the defendant’s face and voice as his neighbour across the street.

The defendant asked the victim for cannabis on several occasions before the home invasion, but he had never given any.

A search warrant was executed on May 31, and the defendant was apprehended.

While he was released on bail, he called his ex-partner, demanding her to take the fall for his involvement in the robbery.

He became abusive when she refused.

Pinekoula attended the woman’s house uninvited on June 3 and became abusive when she refused to let him in.

He drove away with their son and made 32 calls for further threats of violence.

He was located by the police on June 13 and had been remanded in custody since then.

Defence barrister Emma Thorsen said the New Zealand citizen came to Australia for a professional football career when he was 17.

She said the defendant worked for his uncle’s business but continued to play for local football clubs.

“He and his partner had some difficulties in their relationship, and it’s in those circumstances he turned to using drugs for the first time,” she said.

“None of these offered any excuse, but it does give some insight into the circumstances surrounding the crime spree.

“Pinekoula did carry a hammer with him as a weapon during the armed robbery event, but he didn’t use that to inflict any personal or property damage himself.

“He was no perpetrator of any of the violence or threats that are set out in the statement of facts.”

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren said the defendant had no crime history and spent his time well in custody.

“You turned to drugs three days before the offending,” he said.

“Refrain from that upon release.”

He sentenced Pinekoula to four years’ jail, suspended for five years after the 423 days that he spent in pre-sentence custody.

He set an immediate parole eligibility for the defendant.

Pinekoula faces a risk of deportation under the migration act.