Arrest warrant issued for Parramatta Eels star Semi Radradra after no-show in court

After Rugby league player Semi Radradra failed to appear at a Sydney court for his scheduled hearing on Monday regarding the domestic violence case against him, magistrate Greg Grogin has revoked his bail and issued an arrest warrant, which will be released on Thursday if a satisfactory explanation for his absence is not given.

The case was supposed to be heard on Monday morning at the Parramatta local court, but the 24-year-old did not turn up. His lawyer Murugan Thangaraj told the court that he flew to Fiji last Wednesday because of his father’s illness and was there since then. His lawyers also submitted a letter from a doctor in Fiji, which said that Radradra’s father suffered from asthma and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Magistrate Grogin was not satisfied with the explanation. He said that Radradra’s father was undergoing treatment from quite some time. “There’s nothing in [the letter] to indicate any reasons for non-attendance,” he said and added, “Certainly nothing which could justify sudden departures from Australia.”

Unconvinced, Grogin has demanded for more compelling evidence by Wednesday. If the evidence is not submitted in the given time, the court will release the arrest warrant. “At all times the bail Mr Waqavatu [Radradra’s birth name] entered into requires his attendance today. He knew how serious the matter was,” said the magistrate.

Earlier, the prosecutors tried to postpone the Monday hearing because two of their witnesses were not available. However, Radradra’s legal team opposed the application and it was rejected last Tuesday, one day before Radradra flew to Fiji.

The Parramatta winger has been facing domestic violence charges for allegedly attacking his estranged partner Perina Ting in December 2014 and May 2015. He was pleaded guilty in July to all domestic violence-related charges, which include, two counts of common assault and one count of assault causing actual bodily harm.