Player knocked of bullying his son
side of the pub towards him and the boy, who did not know who Matautia was, asked ‘are you alright?’
According to the M.E.N’s sister title, the Liverpool Echo, Mr Duncan said: “The defendant didn’t reply and just walked up to him and punched him in the face with his right hand.
“The punch knocked him, he said, unconscious at that point, however, he regained consciousness to some degree and was aware that the defendant had continued to punch him around five times.”
The boy said Matautia stood over him and said ‘you’re a bully’.
Mr Duncan said he got out his phone as if to take a photo of the boy lying on the ground and Matautia’s son was also spotted in the area.
The boy was taken to hospital where he was treated for a fractured nasal bone, a cut to his nose, plus bruising to his forehead, left cheek and jaw. Matautia denied being at the scene when he was arrested and interviewed by police on December 24, but mentioned his son being bullied.
His mobile phone showed he was in the area and, when interviewed again on February 24, he told officers he went to the pub to speak with the males about the bullying, but claimed one of them pulled a knife on him.
He said he hit the knife out of the male’s hand and punched the boy once in the face, which he asserted was in self-defence.
The court heard Matautia, of Laurel Road, St Helens, had a caution for battery in March 2002.
Mr Watson said his client had led ‘a rather exemplary life’ and was ‘not a man who has spent his life getting into trouble or threatening people’.
“There must have been something which sparked this off,” Mr Watson added.
Judge Everett said he accepted, even if it was a mistaken belief, that Matautia thought there were difficulties between his son and other youngsters.
He said it was a ‘sustained assault’ involving ‘multiple blows’ and the injuries were ‘unpleasant’, but not serious in the context of the offence, as argued by prosecutors.
Judge Everett gave an indication of a jail sentence of around 10 months, before credit for a guilty plea.
But he was not prepared to say whether it could be suspended, without first seeing a pre-sentence report and a victim personal statement.
Judge Everett said: “I will make that decision once I have all the information.” He adjourned sentencing until July 19 and remanded Matautia on unconditional bail.