Former NRL star Wendell Sailor\u2019s recent brush with custody has been chalked up to his divorce and subsequent \u201crough patch in life\u201d, a court has been told.<\/p>\n
The 51-year-old was found by police on Throsby Drive in Wollongong about 11pm Friday after reports a man was allegedly obstructing traffic. <\/p>\n
Mr Sailor was charged with breach of bail, obstructing traffic and resisting arrest. <\/p>\n
He spent the night in custody following his arrest, dialling in to Bail Court from Wollongong Police Station in a Chicago Bulls T-shirt on Saturday morning. <\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019re you going?\u201d he asked the magistrate.<\/p>\n
He accepted he had breached his bail condition which prevented him from being intoxicated in public, a Legal Aid lawyer representing him told the court.<\/p>\n
Mr Sailor\u2019s breach was a result of \u201cdifficulties\u201d in his personal life, including the break down of his 28-year marriage, the lawyer told the court.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr Sailor is an Australian former professional rugby footballer who\u2019s had quite a career. Your Honour, he is currently going through a divorce.<\/p>\n
\u201c(He) is going through quite a rough time in his life and he accepts that he was in the wrong by being intoxicated in a public place.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Mr Sailor again does instruct me, Your Honour, that it was all due to the current difficulties in his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is just going through a rough patch in life.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pushed for Mr Sailor to be released on bail under the same conditions he was subject to prior to his arrest. <\/p>\n
However the police prosecutor argued the bail application should be refused over allegations Mr Sailor engaged in \u201calcohol fuelled violence\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn relation to the fresh allegations I concede from the outset that full time imprisonment certainly isn\u2019t on the cards, but in circumstances Your Honour where there are allegations of violence \u2014 alcohol fuelled violence \u2014 and a course of conduct in public against members of the community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cConditional bail has been put in place with the view of mitigating that risk of further offending, (but) it\u2019s not being complied with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Sailor was seen shaking his head several times as the prosecutor spoke, and again when a condition preventing the sporting legend from drinking alcohol entirely was suggested. <\/p>\n
He instructed his Legal Aid lawyer to decline the proposed condition as it could \u201cset him up for failure\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cMr Sailor\u2019s instructions currently is he is trying to get help \u2014 putting in a no drugs and alcohol condition at this stage would be putting in a condition to set him up for failure,\u201d his lawyer said.<\/p>\n
Mr Sailor was ultimately released on bail under the same conditions he was subject to prior to the breach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t comply \u2026 you may not be quite so fortunate on the next occasion Mr Sailor,\u201d the magistrate said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry yes, thank you,\u201d Mr Sailor replied.<\/p>\n
The magistrate added difficulties in Mr Sailor\u2019s personal life were \u201cnot an excuse to be breaching your bail\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you breach your bail conditions you will end up back in custody, that\u2019s just simply what happens,\u201d the magistrate said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe responsibility is on you to comply with your bail conditions, no one else.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe police were just doing their job \u2026 It\u2019s a hard job, and it\u2019s made even harder when people don\u2019t comply.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Sailor nodded along as the magistrate spoke.
He will appear before the courts again later this month.<\/p>\n