John MacDonald: The problem I’ve got with Sevu Reece

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

In relation to what happened in the Christchurch District Court yesterday, I could be telling you right now how outraged I am about All Black Sevu Reece getting a discharge without conviction for causing damage to a car and a garage after he was kicked out of a party for being a drunken pain in the backside.

I could be thumping the table, going on about All Blacks being role models and how they should know better, and how —if they do break the law— then, because people look up to them, they should face the full consequences of their actions.

I could be banging on right now about Sevu Reece only caring about what he did that night after Cup Day last year because a conviction could mean an end to his rugby career. Or, put limits on it, anyway.

I could be accusing him of crying crocodile tears about his apparent drinking problem. I could be saying: “oh yeah, is the drinking only a problem when it gets you in strife with the cops and you end up in court?”

I could be saying all of those things, but that wouldn’t be strong enough. I’d be sugar-coating it.

Because this is not just about what happened in court yesterday, this is about someone who I think, in my honest opinion, is taking the mickey.

One discharge without conviction I could probably accept. But two? Forget about it mate. And for me, that’s a far bigger deal than what he did on that one particular occasion last year.

I agree with the judge who said yesterday that the consequences of a conviction for that particular offence would far outweigh the seriousness of what he did.

Yes, he was obviously a clown at that party last year, which is why the guy hosting him asked him to leave in the early hours of the morning.

Yes, he was a muppet to get into that car outside the party, accelerate up the driveway and crash into the guy’s garage.

And yes, I get that it had implications for the victims.

And, yes, I accept that the way the justice system works, the judge yesterday could only consider things from the perspective of that one incident.

But the audacity to even ask for a discharge without conviction when he got the exact same thing back in 2018 after admitting a charge of common assault on his then-partner. That’s what I’m thumping the table about.

Because a discharge without conviction is the ultimate ‘get of jail’ card, isn’t it? It’s a ‘don’t even bother going to jail card’.

And it’s something to be respected. I know if I committed an offence and managed to get the same thing, there’d be no second time.

I’m pretty confident that I would see a discharge without conviction for the second chance that it is, and I’m pretty confident that you wouldn’t see me trying to get it a second time around.

That’s because I’m not another arrogant elite sports person who thinks the world revolves around my career. And that’s the problem I’ve got with Sevu Reece.

When he turned up at court yesterday, he wasn’t saying: “I’m a man fronting up and dealing with the consequences of my actions.”

He wasn’t saying: “Look at this kids - this is what it’s all about. This is about being accountable.”

In my honest opinion, what Sevu Rece was saying yesterday was: “I’m a celebrity, get me outta here”.

And that’s exactly what he did. For the second time. And that, for me, speaks volumes about the man.

It says to me that nothing’s changed. That there is still this thinking that if you represent your country in sport or whatever, then you are owed something. That you deserve special treatment.

And, if I had my way, there’s no way the courts would have even entertained the idea of giving him a discharge without conviction.

Because once is lucky enough. Thinking you can get it a second time, is arrogant and taking the you-know-what.

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