La Rochelle (AFP)
The Australian international from Stade Rochelais (Top 14) Lopeti Timani was sentenced Monday to a 10,000 euros fine by the La Rochelle criminal court in a case of violence with a weapon, in this case a bottle, after going out to a club night in 2019, we learned from a judicial source.
Six months suspended prison sentence was required at the hearing in June against Timani, 29 (12 selections), who appeared at the same time as two security officers of the establishment, prosecuted for "violence in meetings" on the rugby player.
Six and three month suspended sentences were required against them.
On May 12, 2019 around 4:30 a.m., the solid 2nd / 3rd row (1.93m, 125kg) had to be escorted, obviously drunk, out of a nightclub in La Rochelle, nudging a security guard inside.
Shortly after, the player had thrown a bottle in front of the establishment which had hit another nightclub security guard in the face.
This man and a colleague then attacked the player, one of them hitting him with a security barrier, punches and kicks.
At the hearing, Timani apologized for throwing the bottle away, but assured "not to want to hurt anyone" with this gesture.
He also assured not to have reacted, deliberately, once taken to task because to fight would have meant "the end of his career" at Stade Rochelais.
The Australian player has been fined in tort, which will not appear in his criminal record.
He will also have to pay 1,000 euros in damages to one of the security guards for moral prejudice.
One of the guards saw the offense of violence in a meeting reclassified as light violence, and will have to pay a fine of 750 euros.
He will also have to pay 800 euros in damages to Timani for non-pecuniary damage, his lawyer Charles Portier told AFP who spoke of a "just" sentence, "because everyone will keep their job and get off on the right foot"
The other security guard was released.
© 2020 AFP