Berkeley Vale: Terrigal rugby union player Elekana Laupola stands trial over DV allegations

A Central Coast rugby union player has denied allegedly breaking his girlfriend’s finger, choking her, snapping her phone and threatening to kill her with a kitchen knife, a court has heard.

Elekana Laupola during his playing days with Terrigal Trojans. (AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook)

A local rugby union player either allegedly subjected his girlfriend to horrific domestic violence over a two-week period, including breaking her finger and choking her, or her credibility is “in question”, a court has heard.

That was the ultimate question put to a jury on Tuesday at the start of a trial involving former Terrigal Trojans rugby union player Elekana Laupola.

The 31-year-old from Long Jetty pleaded not guilty to nine allegations including that he snapped his then partner’s iPhone, assaulted her, broke into her house twice, intentionally choked her on three occasions and threatened to kill her while armed with a kitchen knife.

In his opening address on Wednesday, the Crown prosecutor alleged the nine charges stemmed from incidents on September 26 and 27, and October 7 and 8, in 2023.

On the first occasion the Crown alleged Laupola was being driven from his Long Jetty address to his then girlfriend’s house at Berkeley Vale when she got a text message.

Laupola is facing trial in Gosford District Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

The prosecutor said the Crown alleged Laupola accused his girlfriend of cheating and snapped the iPhone over his knee before grabbing her finger.

“I anticipate the complainant will allege the accused grabbed her pinky finger on her left hand and pulled it until it snapped or broke,” the Crown prosecutor said.

Laupola is tackled during his playing days with the Trojens. (AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook)

“The complainant was crying and the accused started yelling at her, telling her to give him her hand so he could pop it back into place.”

The Crown said Laupola went with her afterwards to Wyong Hospital and a fracture clinic the following day where she told medical staff she fell over at the beach.

Later that day the pair were at her Berkeley Vale home when the Crown alleges Laupola accused her of cheating on him and threatened to kill her.

The prosecutor alleges they were out the front when she tried to run to a neighbour’s house but he allegedly “tackled her into the Colorbond fence” before dragging her back inside by the hair.

The victim drove herself to Wyong Hospital and Laupola cam with her. (AAP Image/Sue Graham)

“I anticipate the complainant will give evidence that once inside the accused put her in a headlock and threw her onto the loungeroom floor then got on top of her and put his two hands around her throat,” the Crown prosecutor told the court.

“As soon as her eyes started to roll back the accused would let her go. The Crown alleges this process, this conduct or these actions, continued for about 10 minutes.”

The Crown alleges Laupola grabbed a kitchen knife t one point and threatened to kill her. (File image)

The Crown alleges about two weeks later on October 7, 2023, Laupola broke into her house through the back laundry door in the early hours and allegedly choked her “to the point she couldn’t even gasp”.

The court heard Laupola allegedly came back the following morning and came in through the broken laundry door while she was sleeping.

“The Crown will allege that at some stage during the assault the accused has bitten the complainant on her shoulder and mouth,” the prosecutor said.

“The Crown will allege the accused went to the kitchen, obtained a knife, returned to the complainant’s bedroom, pointed the knife at her and said he was going to kill her.”

In his opening address Laupola’s barrister invited the jury to “put your emotional reaction to one side” and deal with the evidence calmly and rationally.

He said while it was not in dispute the couple were in a relationship and he was with her on those days, Laupola denied all the allegations.

“Ultimately, members of the jury, this case will be the honesty, the accuracy and the reliability of [the complainant] that you will have to consider,” he said.

“In other words, her credibility is an issue in dispute.”

The trial continues.

Originally published as Berkeley Vale: Terrigal rugby union player Elekana Laupola stands trial over DV allegations