Wests Tigers reserve player Iverson Fuatimau spared jail time for role in St Helens Park home invasion

Wests Tigers reserve player Iverson Fuatimau was “so high” from smoking cannabis he fell asleep in his car while he was acting as a lookout during a home invasion, a court has heard.

Former Wests Tigers player Iverson Fuatimau has narrowly avoided time behind bars for his involvement in a violent home invasion in May 2022. Picture: Foxsports

A one-time rising rugby league star who nodded off behind the wheel of a car during a violent home invasion has avoided time behind bars for his crime.

NRL prospect Iverson Fuatimau hugged his lawyer, then his family, in Campbelltown District Court on Friday just moments after Judge Julia Baly sentenced him to a community-based intensive correction order for his role in the May 2022 incident, which saw occupants of the western Sydney home robbed at gunpoint.

Court documents said Fuatimau had been under contract with the West Tigers as a reserve grade player when he suffered a career-ending injury and fell into a deep depression.

The court heard he turned to alcohol and cannabis to numb his pain and had been smoking with others at an acquaintance’s house when he agreed to drive two of the men to an address at St 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.

Fuatimau was contracted to the West Tigers reserve grade at the time he was charged. Picture: Wests Tigers.

Fuatimau agreed, parking his car outside the house and waiting while the two men went inside.

He told the court during his recent sentencing hearing that he was “so high” from the cannabis he had ingested that he fell asleep in the car while he waited, and only woke up when an unknown person banged on the vehicle’s window.

Police arrived moments later and Fuatimau was arrested on the spot.

He was taken to Liverpool Police Station where he was charged with aggravated break and enter in company.

Fuatimau was released on bail after spending the night behind bars and later pleaded guilty to the charge at court.

During his sentencing hearing, Fuatimau said he had lost everything when he lost his shot at playing rugby league professionally due to his injury and at the time did not care about himself or what happened to him.

Fuatimau told the court he hopes to resurrect his playing career now his case has been finalised. Picture: Wests Tigers.

He told the court he’d been spaced out on drugs that afternoon, which had significantly impacted his decision making.

Court documents said 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.

The Crown agreed that Fuatimau did not know that either of his co-accused were armed at the time they went into the house.

In sparing Fuatimau a full-time jail sentence, Judge Baly noted he had no prior criminal record, was remorseful for his actions and had good prospects of rehabilitation.

“There’s a large body of evidence before me which shows he’s a person of good character,” she said.

“I accept this offending was indeed out of character for him.”

The court heard Fuatimau had been a talented league player in his youth, signing with the Melbourne Storm’s U14s side, then Canterbury-Bankstown at the age of 16, before being contracted to the Bulldogs as a 20-year-old.

Fuatimau told the court he hoped to resume his rugby league career now his case had been finalised.

As part of his sentence, Fuatimau will be required to perform 250 hours of unpaid community service work and continue seeking treatment from a psychologist.

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