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A Southland Stags rugby player has been sentenced to 18 months’ intensive supervision after admitting to charges of public masturbation.
Dillan Halaholo, 23, was convicted yesterday in the Invercargill District Court. Unfortunately, the incident is far from a one off. Halaholo has been caught in the act on three separate occasions, twice in front of young girls.
Southland Stags were quick to address the issue, terminating his contract the moment they discovered Halaholo had been charged with the offences.
According to police reports, Halaholo’s first offence occurred in the car park of a supermarket in Invercargill when he began masturbating in his car which was parked next to another vehicle. That vehicle happened to contain two young girls who witnessed the incident.
The girls aged 9 and 6 were reportedly left traumatised from the incident with the girls’ parents claiming Halaholo had “taken away their innocence.” Shortly after he masturbated in the presence of two 10-year-old girls – who he glanced over at after partially rolling down his window.
A week later, on June 10, he returned again and masturbated next to a car with a 23-year-old woman inside.
In fronting court, council for Halaholo, Richard Smith argued that Halaholo has “come a long way … in terms of dealing with these things because they are extremely embarrassing and confusing for him and he has had to deal with that.”
Smith said it would be ‘extremely difficult’ for his client to try to play overseas if he was convicted and that naming him and allowing photos to be taken in court would ‘serve no purpose but to further humiliate’ him.
Judge Christina Cook, denied these requests noting the severity of the offences and the repetitive nature of their occurrence.
Immediately after being charged with the offences Halaholo began counselling. Southland Stags confirmed that he was undergoing an extensive long-term clinical rehabilitation plan to address his off-field issues.
Halaholo played 17 games for the Stags in 2014 and 2015 before being called into the Highlanders on a short-term basis as injury cover and travelled to South Africa with them following strong performances.
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