Siosifa Talakai: Cronulla Sharks player sentenced for driving with expired licence
Barnstorming Sharks star Siosifa Talakai has received a stern warning for driving with an expired licence twice, concluding a case in which a magistrate issued a warrant for his arrest.
St George Shire Standard
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A NRL Cronulla Sharks player must be of good behaviour for nine months after he drove while his licence was expired.
Siosifa Talakai, 25, was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday.
Talakai, who lives in Rosebery, attended court for the second time this week after he was ordered to renew his licence at the RMS when the case came before the court on Tuesday.
Magistrate Roger Prowse accepted Talakai entered a plea of guilty to a charge of driving while having an expired licence on June 23.
He noted he would give Talakai the full 25 per cent discount despite the fact he “didn’t turn up on the first available opportunity” when the case was first mentioned in June.
Magistrate Prowse said he was “flabbergasted” and “flummoxed” why Talakai had not renewed his licence in the time since he was charged.
On Tuesday he told Talakai’s lawyer Warwick Korn that the only way his client would not commit the same offence was to apply for a licence at the RMS, adding that obtaining a licence was “100 per cent” a way to ensure he did not come before the court again.
On Wednesday Mr Korn told the court his client had renewed his licence on Tuesday after court, as instructed.
In sentencing Magistrate Prowse did not record a conviction and placed Talakai on a conditional release order where he must be of good behaviour for nine months.
Agreed facts tendered to court said Talakai was driving a red Mazda 6 sedan about 2.20pm on May 13 this year when he was directed to pull over at a stationary random breath test site while travelling eastbound on Captain Cook Drive in Caringbah.
He returned a negative breath test and a police officer requested he produce a valid and current driver’s licence.
Talakai showed the officer a digital class-C learner’s licence on his phone.
The officer quickly noticed the licence was expired as a red warning appeared on the screen, with the photo on the digital licence depicting Talakai, the documents said.
His licence had expired on October 23, 2020.
According to the documents, that was the second time Talakai had been caught driving while his licence was expired.
He was issued with a notice to attend Sutherland Local Court on June 10.
However, he did not appear in court when required, prompting Magistrate Roger Prowse to issue an arrest warrant.
Sharks management, who were unaware of the charge, sent a lawyer to overturn the decision that afternoon, and the arrest warrant was revoked.
When contacted by the Saturday Telegraph, Sharks media manager Rob Willis labelled the missed court date “an oversight” on Talakai’s behalf, saying the player “hadn’t realised” he had been due to attend court that day.
Last week Talakai played in game 3 of the State of Origin series in Queensland, where his NSW Blues side lost.
Talakai started as a train and trial player in the 2020 pre-season before becoming a stand out for the Sharks during the year.
The powerfully built man has established himself a lead player at the Sharks, after 57 NRL games under his belt, and has been instrumental in the Sharks success this year.
The Mascot Jets junior made his NRL debut for South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2016.
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