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Former NRL participant Jamil Hopoate faces a fourth stint in jail as he awaits sentencing for attempting to ship eight kilograms of cocaine by Sydney.
The previous Brisbane lock, who has twice been jailed for violent incidents, was arrested at gunpoint throughout a police sting in Could 2021.
Federal police had discovered 514kg of cocaine hidden in a consignment of toolboxes, changed it with an innocuous powder after which tracked it because it was distributed throughout Sydney.
The son of former Manly winger John Hopoate and brother of former Canterbury star Will was seen amassing eight blocks of powder after which driving in a van that was stopped by police.
Hopoate was paid between $7000 and $10,000 to maneuver the slabs however had no revenue stake within the cocaine provide, the District Court docket was instructed final week.
Whereas the Crown has accepted Hopoate has affordable prospects of rehabilitation, it submitted the court docket wanted to ship a message to the neighborhood that jail time was the one possibility for many who acted as couriers in drug rings.
Hopoate spent about two months on remand earlier than being bailed on the drug cost in July 2019.
Having pleaded responsible to the only cost, Hopoate has submitted an intensive corrections order – a type of suspended sentence – was an possibility open to the court docket.
He was hooked on playing, alcohol and different medicine on the time, which led to his offending, the court docket has heard.
Since July 2021, he is been unable to the touch alcohol or different medicine or gamble as a consequence of his strict bail circumstances.
Hopoate was dumped by Manly Sea Eagles in 2014 when jailed for a yr for a drunken, brutal and unprovoked assault on a person exterior an area pub.
Having gained permission to return to NRL in 2020, he performed 12 matches in Brisbane’s sub-par season, principally off the bench and was let go.
He was jailed once more this yr for 3 months after failing to finish 250 hours of neighborhood service, as ordered by a court docket in 2021.
That neighborhood service associated to assault and intimidation offences in Port Macquarie in 2020.
Choose Sharron Norton will hand down her sentence on Thursday.
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