A very immature reaction- How Chevy Stewarts very small pokies act caused nearly $5k of damage

A young Canberra Raiders player’s “immature reaction” to losing at the pokies short-circuited a popular Sydney nightspot’s entire gaming room, generating nearly $5000 worth of damage.

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Chevy Stewart, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of destroy or damage property after an incident at the Northies Cronulla Hotel last September.

He had been drinking at a gaming machine with a group of friends at the venue around 9.45pm on September 26 when he lost, splashing the “very small” amount left of his drink onto the machine’s screen, magistrate Jillian Kiely said during his sentencing at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.

He walked off afterwards, apparently unaware the machine had been damaged.

But shortly afterwards, the entire room was plunged into darkness, his act having shorted out the gaming room.

“After the accused left the gaming area, other patrons sat down at the machine in the room and then all the power to the whole room went out and it was in darkness,” the agreed statement of facts, tendered to the court and seen by NewsWire, state.

“There was only a small volume of liquid in the cup when it was thrown at the screen of the machine.”

He had been in the gaming room for just three minutes before his loss, the documents state.

“(It was) a very immature reaction to losing,” Ms Kiely said.

“That very small act, ill thought and probably alcohol influenced, has caused a lot of damage.”

The venue’s licensee found Mr Stewart in the “Old Joe’s” section afterwards and called the police.

Ms Kiely said the fullback immediately offered to pay for the damage when speaking with security, with court documents also stating he “expressed multiple times he is willing to pay for the repairs” when he spoke with police.

He had already paid the venue compensation for the incident prior to his sentencing.

There was no suggestion the young star intended to damage the machine, with Ms Kiely speaking of his “immediate remorse”.

“He certainly didn’t do it deliberately,” she told the court.

“Mr Stewart is only a young man … he is a young man of good character, having never been in trouble for anything before.

“(The evidence) paints a picture of a young man who’s otherwise well regarded and hard working.”

Reference reports tendered to the court described Mr Stewart as a “very responsible young man who was under a lot of strain at the time” of the incident.

Mr Stewart, who came onto the NRL scene in 2024 with the Canberra Raiders, was supported by his family and a Canberra Raiders staff member at Sutherland Court on Thursday.

Ms Kiely said the youngster is “very passionate” about his career, and such actions as this could put that in jeopardy.

“No doubt he’ll think twice before doing it again,” Ms Kiely said.

Mr Stewart was sentenced to a conditional release order of 12 months, which requires him not to commit any offences during that period.

Ms Kiely opted not to convict Mr Stewart over the incident.

Source – Indonesia News