Sione Hopoate, son of NRL badboy John Hopoate sentenced over serious driving offence
A son of former NRL star John Hopoate has been sentenced for a serious driving offence after being stopped by northern beaches cops early on a Sunday morning.
Manly
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“I don’t know what to say.”
This is what a son of former NRL badboy and Sea Eagles star John Hopoate told police when they told him he was driving on a suspended licence after pulled him over while on a late night out.
Sione Mau John Junior Hopoate, 23, had been driving, with passengers in the car, in Dee Why at 3.40am on a Sunday morning.
Northern Beaches Police had seen the grey Toyota Yaris, sporting green ‘P” plates, on Pittwater Rd, near the junction with May Rd, on November 21 last year and stopped it for a random breath test.
But when officers checked the licence status of Hopoate Junior, who is a talented professional footballer, they discovered that his licence had been suspended from October 6 due to racking up too many demerit points for speeding offences.
Manly Local Court heard on Wednesday that officers told him: “Your licence is suspended”.
In a police facts sheet tendered to court, police stated that Hopoate replied: “I don't know what to say”.
Hopoate Junior pleaded guilty to one count of drive motor vehicle while suspended.
The footballer was supposed to be in Manly court on Wednesday to hear the sentence set down by magistrate Robyn Denes.
But he didn’t show up.
Instead it was up to his solicitor Feddy Kak to explain that Hopoate Junior had moved interstate and was now living in Queensland.
He recently signed to play with the Brisbane-based Wynnum Manly Seagulls in the Queensland Cup rugby league competition.
He had played junior representative football for the Manly Sea Eagles and had represented NSW at under 16 level. Hopoate Junior played for the North Sydney Bears last year.
Mr Kak said his client was also working on Wednesday as a bus driver for a disability organisation in Queensland.
Ms Denes pointed out that Hopoate Junior did not have leave from the court not to appear for sentencing.
She said he had “ignored the suspension”.
“There is no explanation that I can see, why he was driving that day,” the magistrate said.
Ms Denes convicted Hopoate Junior, fined him $500 and disqualified him from driving for three months.
In November, 2020, John Hopoate Senior pleaded guilty in Manly Local Court to driving while on a suspended licence and was convicted and fined $1000.
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