Former Brisbane lock Jamil Hopoate has pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend outside a club in Port Macquarie, perย The Daily Telegraph.ย
The 26-year old admitted to striking his partner, Shae Beathe, with an open palm which saw the victim fall to the ground, with Hopoate's lawyers entering guilty pleas for seven charges in a local court.
It is understood the couple had been drinking before Hopoate was asked to leave Club Panthers by security after he spat on them and his partner.
Security looked to assist Hopoate and Beathe when the pair engaged in an argument inside the venue on December 28.
Text messages between the two show Ms Beathe had been intending on leaving Hopoate and taking the couple's child with her.
When confronted inside the venue by Ms Beathe, Hopoate reportedly bent her key card and through it on the ground in front of her.
Ms Beathe and their nine-month old child were safely removed from the situation by security.
The charges included but weren't restricted to two counts of common assault.
The Mid-North Coast Newsย were able to obtain court documents that revealed Hopoate struck Ms Beathe in the face and then proceeded to speed away from the scene leaving his partner outside the venue.
Ms Beathe was admitted to hospital, with court documents revealing the impact of the strike.
โThe accused then struck the victim to the face with an open right palm. The strike was done with such force that it sent the victim stumbling backwards and caused her to fall to the ground some distance from where she has been hit," the documents read.
Hopoate also broke and AVO put in place for Ms Beathe's safety just two weeks after the assault.
The former Bronco now looks destined to fall away from the game that gave him and his family so much.
Even after a year in gaol he still hasn’t learnt? What an imbecile.
What a relief that no club signed this piece of crap.
What a champion bloke. Takes after his boof-headed old man.