Former Rugby International Sentenced for Nightclub Assault
A former Tongan international rugby player has avoided a prison term after knocking out an off-duty police officer with a single punch at a popular Newcastle nightclub. Penikolo Kula Latu, 32, was sentenced in Newcastle Local Court on November 21, 2025, to 10 months imprisonment, to be served in the community under an Intensive Correction Order.
Violent Incident Leaves Officer with Serious Injuries
The court heard the assault occurred in the early hours of March 1, 2025 at King Street Hotel following a brief altercation. Latu's defence team had argued he acted in self-defence after an encounter with the victim, Aaron Barnett, and Mr Barnett's friend. However, Magistrate Janine Lacy found Latu guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in October.
The single punch had devastating consequences, leaving the off-duty officer with multiple serious injuries including a fractured eye socket, brain bleed, chipped tooth, and significant bruising. Magistrate Lacy emphasized the severity of the attack during sentencing, noting 'He felled a grown man in one fell swoop' and that such violence could have fatal outcomes.
Community Service Ordered as Sentence Served Outside Jail
In addition to the 10-month community-based prison sentence, Latu was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service. Defence solicitor Skye Nixon had requested the magistrate consider a non-custodial sentence, arguing Latu needed to continue working to support his family.
Magistrate Lacy acknowledged the threshold for imprisonment had been crossed but determined the sentence would be better served in the community than in jail. She stated the sentence needed to reflect the offence's gravity, the victim's impact, and serve as a general deterrent, particularly for alcohol and drug-fuelled violence.
The magistrate noted Latu did not stop to assist the victim after the assault and had multiple opportunities to take a different course of action during the altercation. However, she also considered several mitigating factors, including Latu's lack of prior criminal history, his assessed low risk of reoffending, genuine remorse, and that the assault appeared to be out of character for the former test rugby player.
