NRL young gun Manase Fainu jailed for church stabbing, vows to launch appeal
Once considered an NRL rising stars, Manase Fainu has announced his next move after being jailed for a brutal stabbing.
Just moments after being placed in handcuffs and led into prison, Manase Fainu has vowed to appeal his conviction for stabbing a Mormon church youth leader during a wild car park brawl.
Three years ago Fainu, 24, was considered one of the NRL’s rising stars, but his career is almost certainly over.
In a stunning fall from grace, a jury last week found him guilty of one count of wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
A jury took just two hours to find Fainu guilty of plunging a steak knife into the back of Faamanu Levi at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Wattle Grove in October, 2019.
Following the verdict last week, Crown prosecutor Emma Curran made an immediate detention application, however it was not able to be heard by District Court Judge Nanette Williams until Monday.
Fainu’s barrister, Margaret Cunneen SC, on Monday morning fought the move for him to be immediately sent to jail while he awaits sentencing, arguing he needed time to prepare financially and mentally.
Under the state’s new bail laws, a defendant who is facing inevitable fulltime imprisonment must demonstrate “special or exceptional circumstances” to remain on bail while they await sentencing.
And Judge Williams said she was not satisfied that had been demonstrated by Fainu.
Fainu, wearing a grey suit and blue and white tie, was placed in handcuffs by sheriffs, hugged Ms Cunneen and waved to family members as he was led away.
But his solicitor Paul McGirr said the “wheels are in motion” in preparing an appeal.
Outside court, Mr McGirr described the verdict as “dangerous”.
Throughout the trial, Fainu had argued it was a case of mistaken identity.
His legal team had said that key witnesses were swayed after they were shown social media pictures of the Tongan international in a sling in the hours following the incident.
Mr McGirr told NCA NewsWire that Fainu would not launch his appeal until after he was sentenced later in the year, but that he would challenge the verdict in the Court of Criminal Appeal.
“The judge’s directions were very fair, especially in regards to scrutinising identification and this was a case where a number of witnesses were all talking, not knowing who was who and looking up Facebook and Instagram and everything else,” Mr McGirr said.
“And to me, that’s very dangerous ground – when people are telling other people who’s who.”
Fainu made a social media post on Sunday night showing a BBQ at his home which he tagged #LastSupper and teammate Josh Aloiai, who has supported him throughout his trial.
During his trial, the court heard that one eye witness, Tony Quach, had seen Fainu stab Mr Levi in the back near his right shoulder blade during a late-night brawl between two parked cars.
Another man, Kupi Toilalo, told the jury that he saw a man approach him and his friends with his left arm in a sling and holding a knife.
It was not in dispute Fainu had undergone shoulder surgery a month earlier and had his arm in the sling at the time.
Fainu has been stood down from the NRL since the incident and has not played the last three seasons, though he has been allowed to train.
During the trial he denied playing any part in the stabbing or the brawl, claiming he stood back 10m because he was scared.
He said he began back-pedalling because he feared for his safety when he heard someone yell “knife, knife”.
CCTV played to the jury showed Fainu, with his arm in a sling, jump the fence from an adjoining Coles car park into the church grounds shortly before the brawl.
Ms Cunneen argued on Monday Fainu should be able to remain on bail after he had suffered an “enormous” and “unthinkable downfall”.
She said he needed time to adjust mentally and prepare financially for when he will be sentenced at a later date.
Ms Cunneen also tendered a character reference from Manly coach Des Hasler, who watched proceedings via audio visual link.
“This young man, Mr Fainu, had the promise of a most extraordinary football career ahead of him and that has been smashed,” Ms Cunnen said.
“Everyone would be entitled to say through his own fault he lost that.
“The necessary punishment the court must impose will also bring about the most extraordinary extra-curial punishment, that is the end of what had promised to be an extraordinary, exceptional stellar career in what Mr Hasler has described as the hardest game in the world.”
The court heard he had previously battled a prescription drug addiction and spent one month in a rehabilitation facility last year.
His counsellor Jan Earl told the court on Monday that Fainu had over the weekend suffered a mental episode, which involved him shaking uncontrollably, was being monitored by a mental health team and had to be prescribed anti-anxiety medication.
Ms Earl said that Fainu was feeling “great shame and remorse” and suffering depression, intrusive thoughts and suicidal ideation.
Ms Cunneen said that two of Fainu’s brothers, who were contracted to Manly, had paid his legal fees after the club advanced them money from their 2023 contracts.
However, Crown prosecutor Emma Curran said none of that amounted to special or exceptional circumstances.
Judge Williams found that Fainu had not seen a psychiatrist since February, after his psychiatrist had died, and declined opportunity to seek mental health support at a hospital on Saturday.
Fainu will return to court for a sentence hearing in October.