Hurstville alleged kidnapping: two men face court charged with assault

A rising rugby league star who played semi-professional football as recently as last year has faced court charged with an alleged public kidnapping that alarmed Sydney commuters last week.

James Filihiahekava (left) and Latu Mailangi have been charged with assault after an alleged kidnapping in Hurstville in April 2019. Picture: Supplied

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A rising rugby league star who played semi-professional football as recently as last year has faced court charged with an alleged public kidnapping that alarmed commuters last week.

James Filihiahekava, 20, and his co-accused Latu Mailangi, 22, have both been charged with assault causing actual bodily harm and affray after they allegedly dragged a teenage boy known to them into a car near Hurstville station last week.

Police allege the two men got out of a black Holden Captiva where the 15-year-old boy was waiting to cross the road on March 31 and began punching and kicking him before dragging him into the car.

Alarmed witnesses contacted police before officers from St George Police Area Command and the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad arrived and declared a crime scene.

According to police Filihiahekava, from Bexley North, and Mailangi, from Auburn, attended St George police station at 1.30am the next day with the teenager in company, who was assessed by paramedics but did not require hospitalisation.

The incident is believed to be domestic and the pair will return to court on April 23 after seeking an adjournment for legal advice.

James Filihiahekava playing football for Tonga in an Australian competition in 2016. Picture: Facebook

Last year Filihiahekava played for the Western Suburbs Magpies in the Ron Massey Cup, a second-tier semi-professional competition that feeds into NSW Rugby League’s reserve grade Intrust Super Premiership competition.

When he was still a student at Endeavour Sports High School in Caringbah he was part of the train-on squad for the St George Illawarra Dragons’ under-18 SG Ball team.