Former cross-code footballer Shem Tatupu was sentenced to a minimum of nine years in the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday following a brutal nine-hour assault on his former partner.
- The case closes the final chapter on any remote sporting legacy for the 30-year-old former rookie, severing historical ties to his time with Hawthorn’s VFL squad and the Melbourne Storm.
Tatupu, 30, received a head sentence of 12 years and two months after pleading guilty to common assault, non-fatal strangulation, and intentionally causing serious injury. 1News reported that the former Hawthorn VFL and Melbourne Storm rookie must serve a minimum of nine years before he is eligible for parole. According to 1News, he has already served 539 days in pre-sentence detention and could potentially be released as early as 2034.
Nine.com.au noted that the offender is the son of New Zealand Warriors foundation player Tony Tatupu. Following the completion of his prison term, the Kiwi national will likely face deportation back to New Zealand.
| Metric / Detail | Recorded Figure |
|---|---|
| Pre-Sentence Detention Served | 539 Days |
| Earliest Potential Release Date | 2034 |
Justice James Elliott detailed a protracted campaign of isolation and control that began after the victim moved into the home Tatupu shared with his mother a month into their relationship in 2025, 1News reported. Tatupu forbade his partner from speaking to gym members, demanded she quit her dental nurse job, and ultimately pressured her into abandoning social media.
When the victim ended the relationship three months later, Tatupu subjected her to a violent nine-hour ordeal on May 19, 2025. Nine.com.au reported that the attacks included verbal abuse, punches to the head, and strangulation so severe the victim had to pretend she was dead to make him stop.
Hawthorn and Storm star Shem Tatupu jailed for 12 years for stabbing his lover in the head – after cops tried to rescue her from nine-hour torture ordeal https://t.co/c9oRSAtFHv
The victim managed a brief escape during a subsequent attack in front of Tatupu’s mother. Nine.com.au reported that Tatupu chased the woman down to a neighbor’s garage, held an 18.5-centimeter knife to her neck, and stabbed her four times in the back of the head.
During the assault, Tatupu told the victim, “I let her get away, but not you,” referencing a previous partner. The attack left the survivor with multiple skull fractures and a knife fragment permanently embedded within one of the fractures, 1News reported.
Justice Elliott praised the victim as strong and courageous during the sentencing hearing. Tatupu will remain in custody to serve out the remainder of his sentence.
