Ex-rugby star guilty of assaulting police officer: scandal details.

Incident at a nightclub

According to The Sun: An unpleasant incident occurred at one of Australia's popular nightclubs when former rugby player Tonga Penikalo Latu knocked out police officer Aaron Barnett.

32-year-old Latu was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm after striking officer Barnett.

Latu's trial will begin in November, but he intends to appeal the decision.

The essence of the case

Surveillance footage captured the incident in the crowded King Street Hotel around 1:30 AM in March this year.

The court noted that Latu was near the dance floor when a friend of the victim approached him.

As the situation escalated, Barnett intervened, trying to stop the conflict.

However, his actions backfired: he pushed Latu, who was trying to leave.

Barnett appeared to be provoking Latu, gesturing towards him.

In response, Latu threw his drink at Barnett.

After that, he struck him with a left hook to the temple.

Barnett fell to the floor, and other club guests were in shock.

Realizing the seriousness of his actions, Latu quickly left the scene.

The police later detained him for questioning.

Injuries and consequences

Barnett sustained several injuries, including:

• orbital fracture,
• brain hemorrhage,
• tooth injury,
• significant bruising.

In his defense, Latu claimed he acted in self-defense, fearing for his safety.

However, the court determined that while Latu may have felt he was in danger, his response was not proportional to the level of threat.

Judge Janine Lacey reached this conclusion after reviewing surveillance footage and body camera recordings of the officers.

Thus, Latu was found guilty of the crime.

His sentencing is scheduled for November, but he plans to appeal this decision.

Latu debuted for the Tonga national team in 2017 and has since played 9 matches.

Recently, he played for the 'Southland Stags' in the National Provincial Championship in New Zealand.

This incident unfortunately is not the first time an athlete has been involved in a late-night brawl. Cricketer Ben Stokes spent a night in police custody after a brawl in Bristol in 2017. Former UFC star Conor McGregor recently got into trouble for hitting a man during a party in Ibiza.