Ex-NRL bad boy John Hopoate back in court as horror driving record revealed

A court has heard details of controversial former NRL star John Hopoate’s shocking driving record as he lost an appeal to have his licence reinstated.

Former NRL bad boy John Hopoate has failed in a bid to overturn his licence suspension with a court being told he had been suspended 13 times.

Earlier this year, the former Manly Sea Eagles premiership winner was hit with a $1000 fine and suspended from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while his licence was suspended.

On Tuesday, Hopoate, dressed in ripped jeans, a white dress shirt and a pink vest, appeared inside Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court to appeal the severity of his sentence.

During a hearing in the Manly Local Court earlier this year, the court was told he claimed he was not aware his licence had been suspended at the time.

His solicitor Feddy Kak on Tuesday told Judge Paul McGuire that Hopoate had been suspended for three months but was under the belief the suspension had lapsed.

Mr Kak said Hopoate’s suspension concluded in November last year, but another was imposed on December 27, and he was not aware when he drove in January this year.

“He didn’t know he had been suspended at that time,” Mr Kak told the court.

The court was told the offence arose out of an alleged road rage incident.

Former NRL star John Hopoate appealed his driving suspension. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

He failed in his bid to have his sentence reduced. Picture: NewsWire/Simon Bullard

It was previously reported Hopoate posted footage of the January incident on social media at the time, with a video showing him on a Narraweena street standing over a man and pointing his finger as the two exchanged expletives.

The Daily Telegraph reported that at the time that Hopoate wrote under the video: “When you’re (six foot, eight inches) and think your size can intimidate anyone … when you get out of your car and punch my mirror and (swing) at me during your road rage. “You get the BITCH slapped out of you and you start yelling: ‘Help me. Rape’. Then run to the cops like a little bitch that you are and make the complaint lol.

“Doesn’t it suck that you got slapped and cried like a mut, then ran and made a complaint and nothing is going to happen cause you started it.”

Mr Kak asked that Judge McGuire impose no conviction and sentence his client to a conditional release order, saying Hopoate had a “significant” need for a licence.

The court was told that Hopoate had a seven-page traffic record and even after one suspension was lifted in November 2023, he incurred further traffic offences for speeding and using his mobile phone

Judge McGuire noted that Hopoate had a “poor” traffic record that included 2007 and 2012 convictions for driving while suspended.

And the Crown prosecution argued there was “no merit” in his appeal given he had been suspended from driving 13 times.

Hopoate has been suspended from driving 13 times. Picture: NewsWire/Gaye Gerard.

Judge McGuire said Hopoate’s sentence was not lenient given his “terrible” driving record and he dismissed his appeal.

“I am not convinced that Mr Hopoate being fined $1000 and disqualified for 12 months was manifestly excessive. It appears to be not excessive at all,” Judge McGuire said.

During his playing career Hopoate was a NSW and Australian representative; however, he was plagued by controversy.

In 2001, he was suspended for 12 weeks for poking his finger in the buttocks of three opposing players.

Then his playing career prematurely ended in 2005 when Manly tore up his contract after he was suspended for 17 games for elbowing Cronulla’s Keith Galloway in the head.