New South Wales Police has charged four teenagers over the drive-by shooting of former NRL player Matt Utai and the alleged arson attacks targeting his family in Sydney.
Utai sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and shoulder during a drive-by shooting in Sydney suburb Greenacre on Tuesday.
A 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man have both been charged with “accessory after the fact to shoot at with intent to murder”.
A 18-year-old and another 19-year-old have both been charged with damaging property by fire, while the latter was also charged with supplying prohibited drugs.
Utai, 44, remains in a serious condition after undergoing surgery for his injuries.
Police said the shots had been fired from a white SUV, which was later found burned out in nearby Wiley Park.
On Wednesday, police attended a further incident after shots were fired at a house in St Clair. A woman in her 50s was at home but was not injured.
A short time after they found a car on fire in Colyton and later the same day a house and vehicle were found ablaze in Guildford West.
On Thursday, police executed six search warrants – during which they seized three vehicles, 1kg of cocaine and knuckle dusters – and made four arrests.
The 16-year-old boy was refused bail and will appear at a children’s court on Friday 20 February.
The two 19-year-old males were refused bail, while the 18-year-old man was granted conditional bail.
Utai played for Canterbury Bulldogs and Wests Tigers during his domestic rugby league career and won caps for New Zealand and Samoa.
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