A former international rugby player has been found guilty of knocking out a police officer at a nightclub.
Ex-Tonga wing Penikolo Latu was arrested after punching off-duty officer Aaron Barnett in March.
The incident occurred at the King Street Hotel in New South Wales, Australia just after 1.30am.
Shocking CCTV footage from the venue shows the moment Latu leaves his victim unconscious.
The 32-year-old’s punch connected with Barnett’s temple, prompting him to slump to the floor.
Latu has now been found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and will be sentenced in November, although he plans to appeal.
CCTV and bodycam footage from the night of the attack was shown at Newcastle Local Court.
The rugby player had been near the dancefloor when he was approached by a friend of Barnett, before the victim stepped in to control the situation.
He then pushed Latu as he tried to walk away, to which he responded by throwing his drink at Barnett.
The victim agreed that he had made a ‘come on’ gesture towards Latu after pushing him.
Latu then threw the knockout punch before fleeing the scene, only to be arrested by the police several hours later.
Barnett was left with multiple injuries following the attack, including a fractured eye socket, bleeding on the brain and a chipped tooth as well as significant bruising.
Latu has been found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harmGetty The former Tonga international will be sentenced in November but is set to appealGettyAlthough Latu claimed he had only acted in self-defence due to fearing for his own safety, he was found guilty of assault.
Magistrate Janine Lacy told the court that whilst this may have been the case, the level of violence displayed by Latu was not proportional to the perceived threat from the victim.
Latu previously represented New Zealand at under-20 level before making his debut for Tonga in 2017.
He most recently played club rugby for the Southland Stags in New Zealand having also had a spell in the English Championship with Doncaster Knights in 2020.
His younger brother Paula has also played international rugby for Tonga.
The 29-year-old prop was a member of their 2023 Rugby World Cup squad and currently plays in Wales for Dragons.
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