Jersey Reds star jailed for driving twice while banned

Monday 26 September 2016

Fautua Otto was today imprisoned for five months after admitting four driving offences and his contract has been immediately terminated by Jersey Reds for “gross misconduct.”

The Magistrate’s Court today heard the 31-year-old Samoa rugby international was caught driving by police twice on the same day in August, despite having been banned for drink-driving.

He admitted two charges of driving while disqualified and two of driving with no insurance and was handed a total of five months imprisonment by Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu. 

Bill Dempsey, Jersey Reds’ Director of Professional Rugby today issued a statement confirming the the club has terminated his contract immediately.

Mr Dempsey said: “The club is very disappointed that one of our employees has been in court and pleaded guilty to these very serious offences. Fautua Otto’s conduct has fallen well short of the standards we expect from our players, who we expect to act as role models and the gravity of the offences which he has admitted has led to today’s custodial sentence. 

“An internal disciplinary process has resulted in a finding of gross misconduct and this has led to a decision that Fautua’s contract will be terminated.”

Centenier David Webber told the court Otto was stopped in his car by the police at 01:30 on Sunday, August 21st. 

He took a roadside alcohol test and passed but the police then discovered he was disqualified from driving having been sentenced in December to a 15-month ban for drink-driving. 

Otto was charged with driving while disqualified and having no insurance, but later that day, at 19:55, he was spotted on CCTV driving his car, a dark-coloured Audi, near Mulcaster Street.

When asked by police why he was driving again on the same day, Otto replied: “I am not a bad person, it’s my fault. I’ve just been given a court date.”

Otto spent the night in the cells before he was released on Monday, August 22nd. 

Defending Advocate Julian Gollop said Otto’s culture was the reason why he took a “foolish and stupid” decision to drive. 

Advocate Gollop said: “He is a rugby player of international standard having been capped 16 times by Samoa. 

“If he goes to prison his contract will be immediately terminated. If he does not go to prison today he is aware there will be no further chances.

“He has been fined £1,000 by the club and told there cannot be any repeat of these offences, or any offences. 

“He earns £35,000 a year, so after his rent is taken off automatically he is left with around £1,500 a month, of which he sends home to Samoa £500 to help his parents look after his two brothers and sisters. He is, in effect, the principal breadwinner in his household and he regards that role as a very important one.  

“He had played that day against Worcester Warriors and some of the Worcester team are also Samoan and known to him. He drove home after the match, but took a call from one of his Samoan friends asking him to meet up in town. It was something he should have just said no to. His cultural background in Samoa is such that if a friend asks you out to meet, you automatically do so. He made a foolish decision and got into his car. 

“A driving licence and even insurance is not required in Samoa. Subconsciously, he did not give the matter enough thought. 

“After the first offence he had the option of asking his teammates to use his car, but again his cultural shame meant it was a problem of his own making and he had to sort it out. That was his thought process. It was foolish and stupid.

“He now fully understands the seriousness of this type of offence.”

The Relief Magistrate asked: “What is there not to understand as he was disqualified from driving when he was arrested on the first charge and then a short time later he is driving his car again?”

Advocate Gollop said: “He is exceptionally shy and polite and is very much a man in tune with his faith. He is not some wayward teenager.

“We accept the threshold for custody has been met. The consequences of custody are very severe for himself and his family.”

Relief Magistrate Le Cornu took 50 minutes to reach his conclusion and he sentenced Otto to a total of five months in jail for the four offences.

He said: “Whatever your cultural background you knew you were disqualified from driving and yet you chose to do so, not for an emergency but after a request to socialise. 

“You could have walked, got a bus, or called for a taxi. Your cultural background does not put you above the law in this court. Within a short time you were driving again, once more without insurance. These are very serious offences. I find very little mitigating circumstances. 

“This was a deliberate case of driving while disqualified and this type of offending has to result in a custodial sentence.”

Otto was also banned from driving for a further 12 months.