Felise Taufaao charged with Mayfield shooting, home invasion

A front-rower from a Hunter rugby league club has faced court after he allegedly fired a shotgun during a Newcastle home invasion.

A Newcastle rugby league player accused of a shooting during an early morning home invasion was allegedly part of a group chat the night before where his co-accused discussed “stomping the c**ts out”.

Former first-grade front rower Felise Taufaao, 32, is accused of firing a shotgun through the front door of a Mayfield home on May 30.

He was alleged to have broken into the Bull St address alongside Ejay Laga, Zane Meakes and Tim Reid, who were all earlier charged with specially aggravated break and enter and refused bail.

Police had raced to the scene after reports a gunshot had been heard, with officers identifying damage to the front door consistent with a bullet.

“A further search of the property and surrounding area revealed an unspent bullet, a knife and knuckledusters,” a NSW Police spokeswoman said at the time.

Felise Taufaao. Picture: Supplied

“These have been seized and are currently undergoing forensic examination.”

Taufaao faced the Newcastle online bail court on Wednesday charged with firing a firearm at a home with disregard for safety and specially aggravated break and enter.

Newcastle Police Station.

Police prosecutor Sgt Jones said CCTV footage and intercepted texts and phone calls allegedly put Taufaao at the scene.

“We say that on May 29 at 9.42pm, there is communication between the parties about ‘stomping the c–ts out’,” Sgt Jones told Magistrate Elizabeth Bushby.

“Another message is ‘I’ll let you know when I’m out’ – the material is a conversation between (Taufaao), the alleged co-accused Reid, and it goes towards the planning of the incident.”

Sgt Jones later referred to a conversation Taufaao allegedly had with a woman after Meakes’ arrest about concerns “he was going to be next”.

Taufaao was charged with firing a firearm with a disregard for safety and specially aggravated break and enter. Tom Parrish

Taufaao’s Legal Aid solicitor Daniel Laratt described the conversation as “ambiguous”.

‘The highest (the prosecution case) goes is this ambiguous statement and the submissions made by the prosecution about the connection, if there is a connection, between any of the co-accused and the offence,” Mr Laratt said.

“All (those captured on CCTV at the time of the offence) wore hoodies, they are facing away from the camera as they enter the house, and that takes the identity no further.”

Ms Bushby also acknowledged one of the four complainants inside the Mayfield house had made a statement which did not shed any further light on the identities of the alleged home invaders.

The magistrate said Taufaao had been on bail for unrelated charges at the time he was arrested over the home invasion and shooting, and that he had never previously spent time in custody.

Taufaao was granted strict conditional bail to report to police three times a week, to be at home unless in the company of one of his three approved chaperones, and not to enter Mayfield unless he is travelling through it.

He was also forbidden to contact either the four complainants or the three co-accused.

Taufaao’s case will return to court on August 13.

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