Fiji-born ABs winger Sevu Reece sentenced for willful damage

Fiji-born All Blacks winger Sevuloni Reece has avoided a conviction for willful damage after he crashed someone’s car into a garage while intoxicated after he was asked to leave their property.

Reece appeared in the Christchurch District Court today for sentencing before Judge Katie Elkin who ordered him to pay more than $2,000 in reparation and emotional harm.

The 27-year-old’s name suppression lapsed following the sentencing.

Reports say that Reece was asked to leave by the occupants of the address after being “disrespectful to other house guests” before he entered the victim’s Subaru Legacy which was parked in the driveway.

Reece told police the car was running when he got into it and he then accelerated up the driveway, crashing into the victim’s garage causing “substantial damage” to the garage and vehicle before he got out of the car and left the address on foot.

Outside court, Reece says he was sorry for his behaviour and apologised to the victim.

Reece says lots of positives have come out of this incident and that he is working on lots of things as well.

He says he has not had a drink in over a year and was thinking clearer.

Reece adds that there was no point hiding behind name suppression as this is a good story that people could learn from some of his actions.

He says it was a great idea to take name suppression off and face it and went on to say that he takes his responsibility of being a role model seriously.

Reece says he feels like he has let his fans down as they look up to him, but he can only make things right from here in his actions moving on.

Judge Elkin told Reece there was a breach of trust in that he was invited around to their home.

She says Reece had no previous convictions, however the 2018 period was committed while intoxicated.

Judge Elkin says Reece is unlikely to re-offend and was genuinely remorseful.

She says Reece had already donated to KidsCan and Ronald McDonald House and she found the offending was in the “low category”.

[Source: Stuff.co]