Talatau Senior Amone: Father of ex-Dragons player avoids full-time jail for role in hammer attack

The father of NRL young gun Talatau Junior Amone “encouraged” his son to undertake criminal offending when he armed himself with a hammer and chased a tradesman off a roof, a court has heard.

The father of NRL young gun Talatau Junior Amone “encouraged” his son to undertake criminal offending when he armed himself with a hammer and chased a tradesman off a roof, a court has heard.

Talatau Senior Amone appeared at Wollongong District Court on Friday after he was originally sentenced to two-and-a-half years behind bars with a non-parole period of 12 months.

It comes after the 47-year-old Warrawong man was found guilty of damaging property, intimidation, entering a building or land with the intention to commit an indictable offence and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

His 22-year-old son, Junior, who played for the St George Illawarra Dragons, was found guilty of arming himself with a hammer and chasing a tradesman off a roof during the dispute across the road from the Amone family home in November, 2022.

The pairs convictions were confirmed by Judge William Fitzsimmons earlier this year with their appeals dismissed, however, Junior was resentenced to a 16 month intensive correction order (ICO) in June.

It came after he was originally handed a two-year ICO for the heated incident.

In assessing Senior’s severity appeal, Judge Fitzsimmons found him to have “encouraged [Junior] to undertake his criminal offending”.

Talatau Junior Amone, left, and his father, right, previously pictured outside court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

“[The] appellant has considerable influence over his son … without doubt … the offending of the appellant’s son … [from] the urging of the appellant,” he said.

The court heard the various offences, which Senior was found guilty of, were a “serious example” and, like for Junior’s matter, they were “entirely unprovoked”.

Judge Fitzsimmons referenced Senior indicating he was “upset” with alleged threats made at his children and he felt he “needed to protect them”.

And while he had apologised for his offending, he “sought to justify” his behaviour.

However, Judge Fitzsimmons noted that Senior understood the “violence was not appropriate” and in future, he should call the police instead of taking the matter into his own hands.

The court heard Senior had “non insignificant criminal history”, including violence and driving offences which doesn’t “reflect well on him”.

Judge Fitzsimmons found Senior had “finally come to terms” with the underlying cause with his aggression and in handing re-sentencing the father to an ICO he said “community safety is best served” by him continuing his treatment.

Senior was ultimately sentenced to one year and nine months in jail to be served in the community by way of an ICO with 400 hours of community service to be completed.

Judge Fitzsimmons noted time he previously served in custody on remand when handing down his decision.