Summernats crowd control staff sentenced over brawl with 'aggressive crowd'

Two crowd safety workers who assaulted Summernats patrons in 2024 have escaped prison time.

Fogasavaii Matailupevao Pelepesite Pagaialii and Murphy Faigalotu Meafua faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday (26 March) for sentencing over violent assaults committed at the popular car festival.

The two men were working as crowd control staff at the event.

At about 4:30 pm on 6 January 2024, some patrons began moving into a vehicle-only area set aside for car burnouts, so security and crowd control staff tried to get them to move away.

Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker said some patrons were acting “broadly, aggressive and offensive” towards the crowd safety staff.

“This was a highly volatile situation [where crowd safety workers] faced a large, in part, drunken and aggressive crowd of predominantly male attendees,” she said.

The court heard bottles and cans were also being thrown at the workers during the incident, and “offensive, sometimes racist” language was used.

During the incident, Meafua punched a man unconscious after he was hit in the head by a can.

Pelepesite Pagaialii hit one man before going on to hit another up to 10 times in the head.

He would also kick one of the victims while he was lying on the ground.

The court heard the victims were left with various injuries in the aftermath of the attacks, which included a lip laceration, fractured wrist, bruises and concussions.

One of the victims also went to hospital after vomiting blood.

Then-30-year-old Pelepesite Pagaialii from Banks and then-33-year-old Meafu from Chifley were arrested in March 2024.

The two men were sentenced together, with their actions being described as arriving from the “same set of circumstances”.

Chief Magistrate Walker said the court had to consider the crowd’s behaviour to sentence the men appropriately, which she said reduced the men’s culpability.

The court found both men were at a low risk of further offending, had pled guilty to the charges, and had shown genuine remorse for their actions.

“Both of these men are upstanding members of their community,” she said.

They also no longer work as crowd control officers.

On a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, Meafua was convicted and handed a two-year good behaviour order. Meafua must also complete 150 hours of community service.

Pelepesite Pagaialii was given a two-year good behaviour order for a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in joint commission and a charge of common assault.

For a second charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in joint commission, he was handed a 10-month suspended sentence.

He must complete 130 hours of community service.