Joel Romelo pleads guilty to violent attack on former partner, two high speed chases in stolen cars

FORMER NRL player Joel Romelo broke his ex-girlfriend’s eye socket, tore out chunks of her hair and choked her almost until she lost consciousness, a court has heard

Joel Romelo, in happier times playing for the Melbourne Storm, has pleaded guilty to a fresh batch of charges stemming from a brutal attack on his former partner and two high speed chases

FORMER NRL player Joel Romelo broke his ex-girlfriend’s eye socket, tore out chunks of her hair and choked her almost until she lost consciousness, a court has heard.

Romelo, 30, pleaded guilty in Darwin Local Court to recklessly endangering serious harm as well as a string of charges stemming to high speed chases in stolen cars while disqualified.

Former NRL player Joel Romelo.

Crown Prosecutor Tami Grealy told the court Romelo’s former partner was planning to leave Darwin in December last year after breaking off her relationship with the former Penrith Panthers, Melbourne Storm and Canterbury Bulldogs player.

The woman, 26, who the NT News has chosen not to name, tried to lock Romelo out of her apartment following an argument and an exchange of heated text messages, only for Romelo to let himself in and take her phone.

Romelo then demanded the woman tell him her phone’s passcode, which she refused, prompting Romelo to say: “You’re going to make me f*cking hurt you”.

Romelo pushed the woman to the floor and punched her to the ribs before grabbing her by the hair and again throwing her to the floor.

Joel Romelo, during his playing days with the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Ms Grealy said Romelo then put his arms around his victim and strangled her until she became dizzy and feared she would lose consciousness.

When the woman began screaming, Romelo put his hand over her mouth, preventing her from calling out for help.

The woman, fearing for her safety, relented and gave Romelo the passcode, after which he began scrolling through her messages and calling her a “sl*t” and a “filthy whore”.

Romelo then told the woman she “deserved it” and she had made him do it.

Months later, the woman still had ongoing psychological issues and struggled sleeping, Ms Grealy said.

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Romelo’s barrister, John Lawrence SC, compared his client’s problems with meth to the drug use of former Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona.

“This case, it really has to be said … is really all about his addiction to drugs,” Mr Lawrence said.

“It all went really pear-shaped around about 2015 as far as that horrific relationship with that horrific drug.

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“He does instruct me that he wants to have that demon out of his life.”

Judge Alan Woodcock will sentence Romelo next Thursday.