Wests Tigers reserve player Iverson Fuatimau acted as lookout, driver in St Helens Park home invasion

Iverson Fuatimau was, by all accounts, a great rugby league player. In contrast, he was a terrible getaway driver and lookout, a court has been told.

Former Wests Tigers player Iverson Fuatimau is hoping to avoid jail time for his role in a home invasion at St Helens Park in 2022. Picture: Foxsports

Iverson Fuatimau was, by all accounts, a great rugby league player.

In contrast, he was a terrible getaway driver.

The former Wests Tigers reserve grader was labelled a rising prospect just a few short years ago, starring for the Tigers’ feeder club Western Sydney Magpies in the NSW Cup in 2022 and training with the NRL squad that same year, under a contract paying $1700 a week.

But his world came crashing down when an unexpected injury landed him on the sideline, and he turned to cannabis to deal with the resulting depression.

Fuatimau, now aged 24, had been smoking with others at an acquaintance’s house on the afternoon of May 18, 2022, and was, by his own admission, “very high” when he agreed to drive two of the men to an address at Helens Park on his way home.

According to court documents, the pair revealed during the journey that they were about to carry out a home invasion — and asked Fuatimau to act as their lookout and getaway driver.

For reasons Fuatimau even now struggles to explain, he agreed.

Former Wests Tigers player Iverson Fuatimau. Pic: Foxsports.

He parked the car a short distance from the house and his two accomplices left to do their thing.

Perhaps it was his otherwise good conscience getting the better of him, but Fuatimau’s big break into the world of crime was a dismal failure.

Not only did he break a cardinal rule by falling asleep on the job, he was also arrested at the scene — caught red-handed in a sense.

During a sentencing hearing in Campbelltown District Court this week, Fuatimau said he had lost everything when he lost his shot to play rugby league professionally and at the time did not care about himself or what happened to him.

He told the court he’d been so spaced out on drugs that afternoon that he’d nodded off inside the car as he waited, waking up only when someone banged furiously on the side window, wanting to get in the vehicle.

“I don’t know how long (I was asleep for),” he said.

Police were called to Fullerton Circuit, St Helens Park, following reports of a home invasion. Picture: Google Maps

“I was confused (when they woke me), there were a lot of cars around the house, driving away, and co-offenders running around.

“I panicked, I froze, I just sat there. I didn’t really know what was going on.”

Unbeknownst to Fuatimau, the two men who had broken into the house had held up the occupants at gunpoint, tying them up, demanding cash and threatening to kill them.

One of the men fired a shot inside the home, which narrowly missed one of the victims.

Judge Julia Baly SC described it as something out of the movie.

Former Wests Tigers player Iverson Fuatimau training. Picture: Wests Tigers

“It’s just appalling,” she said, although acknowledged Fuatimau had no prior knowledge of what was going to unfold inside the house, nor that his two co-offenders were armed.

The court heard the robbers made off with mobile phones, tablets and handbags, as well as a car belonging to one of the occupants.

According to court documents, Fuatimau began following the stolen vehicle in his own car as it left the scene but only made it a matter of metres before police closed in on him.

He was arrested and charged with aggravated break and enter, to which he subsequently pleaded guilty.

He was held in custody overnight but released on stringent bail the following day.

Three months later, the NRL issued Fuatimau with a formal stand down notice.

He has not played rugby league since and his contract was not renewed when it expired.

However, Fuatimau told the court he still holds out hope of getting a second shot at his dream — if he doesn’t end up in jail.

His lawyer, Elias Tabchouri, asked Judge Baly to impose a community-based intensive correction order in lieu of a full-time jail sentence.

Judge Baly will deliver judgment on March 1.
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