Six months in prison suspended were required Monday in La Rochelle against the Australian international from the Stade Rochelais Lopeti Timani, prosecuted for "violence with a weapon", in this case a bottle, after a nightclub outing in May 2019. The prosecution also asked the criminal court to sentence a security guard of this establishment to six months suspended prison and another security guard to three months suspended. Both were accused of "violence in a meeting" on the person of the rugby player.
On May 12, 2019, around 4:30 a.m., the Australian international (30 years old, 12 caps), obviously drunk, had to be escorted to the exit of the White Rabbit nightclub after poking a vigil against a inside the establishment. The expulsion had been smooth, but a few minutes later, in front of the nightclub, the solid forward from Tonga (1.93 m, 125 kg) had launched a bottle which had reached another vigil in the face. The man and one of his colleagues then attacked the player, one of the two security guards hitting him with a security barrier and punching and kicking him.
"If I had fought, it would have been the end of my career"
Monday at the hearing, the Australian apologized and said "sorry for throwing this bottle". "I didn't want to hurt someone, I threw it without looking, over my shoulder," he said, assuring him that he had deliberately not reacted when he was then attacked. : “If I had fought, it would have been the end of my career [at the Stade Rochelais]. "
"Lopeti, he's a con friend who can't be supported in the evening, but is that worth a condemnation? Asked his lawyer, Me Margaux Mathieu, who asked for the release of his client. The counsel of the two guards, Me Charles Portier, declined the service status of his clients - "12 and 20 years of experience and a clean record" - and considered that the requisitions were "disproportionate". "The medical certificate does not mention any ITT for Lopeti Timani," he noted, arguing that the charges against his customers were "just a fine". The decision was reserved for September 14.
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