Peseto Motu, 35, of Glendenning convicted after ‘terrorising’ Collaroy family in road rage incident

Three small Sydney children and their parents were the victims of a “disgusting and revolting” road rage incident by men described as brutes. See what happened in court

Paseto Motu, 35, of Glendenning, leaving Manly Local Court on Wednesday, where he was described as a “brute” while being convicted of frightening a family of five from the northern beaches in a road rage incident at Roseville. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

A churchgoing dad has been convicted of “terrorising” a family of five — including three small children as young as seven — in a “disgusting and revolting” Sydney road rage incident.

Peseto Motu, 35, was with two other men in a ute that blocked the path of the northern beaches’ family who were driving to a gymnastics competition with their kids on a Sunday afternoon.

The burly house painter from Glendenning, near Blacktown, and his mates, then followed the family for two minutes.

They were upset that the children’s father had taken a photo of the Toyota HiLux, which had been driving “erratically” and tailgating another car, Manly Local Court heard on Wednesday.

Motu, who had a Samoan interpreter in court, was in the back seat of the ute that pulled across in front of the family’s Audi SUV — at a 90 degree angle, blocking both lanes of traffic — on Archbold Rd at Roseville at 2.40pm on April 9.

Paseto Motu, 35, of Glendenning. His behaviour was described by the magistrate as “disgusting and revolting”. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

The three men jumped from the ute. As the other two men knocked on the windows and shouted “wind your window down”, Motu stood in from of the Audi, preventing it from driving off.

He made direct eye contact with the mother, who was behind the wheel.

As the men terrorised the family, one of the children cried out: “Mum, I’m really scared”.

They family had been on its way to the gymnastics event at Rooty Hill when it saw the Toyota tailgating a black car, according to an agreed set of facts tendered to court.

Believing that the ute was “going to cause an accident” the female driver of the Audi asked her male partner to take a photo of the ute’s number plate.

Paseto Motu, 35, of Glendenning, leaving Manly Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

The couple also saw a man “hanging out” of the front passenger window of the Toyota, “laughing and jeering and holding what appeared to be a plastic water bottle”, the court heard.

The mother managed to drive around the ute and Motu, but they followed the Audi for two minutes at three to four car lengths behind. The family was not physically injured, but the father called police and provided the ute’s registration details.

When he was arrested at his home, Motu said he and the other men stopped the Audi because they wanted to know why the family took photos of the ute.

Motu pleaded guilty to one count of attempt to stalk and intimidate, fear of physical harm.

His barrister Peter Godkin told the court that Motu was a respected member of his church, a man of good character who had no previous police record and was now attending an anger management course.

But Magistrate Margaret Quinn told Motu that the Audi had been stopped by “three brutes” who were together “feeling powerful”.

“He’s in a car with others and terrorising people on the road,” she said.

“It’s disgusting and revolting behaviour.

“This behaviour will not be tolerated by the community.”

Motu was convicted and handed a Community Correction Order to be of good behaviour for 10 months and fined $500.