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173552
Wed, 04/06/2011 - 14:21
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http://m.oananews.org//node/173552
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NRL Sydney Roosters star Todd Carney given good behaviour bond
SYDNEY (AAP) April 6 - NRL Sydney Roosters star Todd Carney has been put on a good behaviour bond for drink-driving after a magistrate warned he was only narrowly avoiding jail.
Details of Carney's alcoholism and "shocking" driving record were aired in Waverley Local Court on Wednesday, leading magistrate Jacqueline Milledge to hand the 2010 Dally M medallist a six-month suspended jail term.
But Ms Milledge was forced to amend the sentence hours later, after finding there was no provision for incarceration on the low-range drink-driving charge.
In handing down her initial decision, Ms Milledge warned Carney not to put another foot wrong and said he was within "a hair's breadth" of being sent to prison.
She said she had decided to give him a discount based on his good attitude and his efforts to overcome a drinking problem.
In the amended decision, no conviction was recorded and Carney was placed on a 24-month good behaviour bond.
The court was told the 24-year-old Carney was trying to turn his life around and had started a "positive lifestyle" program with The Salvation Army.
He planned to volunteer with that organisation in the future, and was also completing a traffic offenders' program, undergoing counselling and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
The court was told Carney "fell apart" when his father died, aged 57, after being diagnosed with dementia in 2006.
"During that period he didn't cope well and the offences are there to be seen," Carney's lawyer, Stephen Alexander said.
The offences included two previous drink-driving offences and charges of dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.
The rugby league international last month pleaded guilty to a low-range drink-driving offence after he was pulled over for a random breath test in the eastern suburb of Coogee at about 7am on February 26.
Still on P-plates, he returned a blood-alcohol level of 0.052. P-plate drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their system while driving.
"He has hit rock bottom," Mr Alexander said, adding that the footballer's contract with the Sydney Roosters was "on the line" and the club had already fined him $10,000.
Carney told the magistrate he had let himself and his family down.
"The hardest thing for me was to admit I had a drink problem," he said.
Ms Milledge said Carney's "lifestyle has been reckless" despite his being given a great gift.
"Your driving record says to me you are somebody who needs to be taught a lesson," she said.
She originally disqualified him from driving for 10 months, but she later said he would not lose his licence as he had been put on a bond with no conviction recorded.
"You can't put a foot wrong - you were destined for that door," Ms Milledge said, referring to the exit leading to the courthouse cells.
Earlier, Mr Alexander had asked for the matter to be heard at 2pm (AEST) instead of in the morning, in an effort to avoid media attention.
The magistrate refused, saying the court wasn't run by appointment and threatened to deal with the matter in Mr Alexander's and Carney's absence.
Mr Alexander appeared about 15 minutes later with Carney, who was dressed in a sharp suit, the footballer's mother Leanne and a Salvation Army representative.
Ms Milledge berated Mr Alexander for his "disgraceful" and "unbelievable tardiness" and said his client wouldn't be given any special treatment because of his celebrity status.
"All men are equal in this court," she said.
Details of Carney's alcoholism and "shocking" driving record were aired in Waverley Local Court on Wednesday, leading magistrate Jacqueline Milledge to hand the 2010 Dally M medallist a six-month suspended jail term.
But Ms Milledge was forced to amend the sentence hours later, after finding there was no provision for incarceration on the low-range drink-driving charge.
In handing down her initial decision, Ms Milledge warned Carney not to put another foot wrong and said he was within "a hair's breadth" of being sent to prison.
She said she had decided to give him a discount based on his good attitude and his efforts to overcome a drinking problem.
In the amended decision, no conviction was recorded and Carney was placed on a 24-month good behaviour bond.
The court was told the 24-year-old Carney was trying to turn his life around and had started a "positive lifestyle" program with The Salvation Army.
He planned to volunteer with that organisation in the future, and was also completing a traffic offenders' program, undergoing counselling and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
The court was told Carney "fell apart" when his father died, aged 57, after being diagnosed with dementia in 2006.
"During that period he didn't cope well and the offences are there to be seen," Carney's lawyer, Stephen Alexander said.
The offences included two previous drink-driving offences and charges of dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.
The rugby league international last month pleaded guilty to a low-range drink-driving offence after he was pulled over for a random breath test in the eastern suburb of Coogee at about 7am on February 26.
Still on P-plates, he returned a blood-alcohol level of 0.052. P-plate drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their system while driving.
"He has hit rock bottom," Mr Alexander said, adding that the footballer's contract with the Sydney Roosters was "on the line" and the club had already fined him $10,000.
Carney told the magistrate he had let himself and his family down.
"The hardest thing for me was to admit I had a drink problem," he said.
Ms Milledge said Carney's "lifestyle has been reckless" despite his being given a great gift.
"Your driving record says to me you are somebody who needs to be taught a lesson," she said.
She originally disqualified him from driving for 10 months, but she later said he would not lose his licence as he had been put on a bond with no conviction recorded.
"You can't put a foot wrong - you were destined for that door," Ms Milledge said, referring to the exit leading to the courthouse cells.
Earlier, Mr Alexander had asked for the matter to be heard at 2pm (AEST) instead of in the morning, in an effort to avoid media attention.
The magistrate refused, saying the court wasn't run by appointment and threatened to deal with the matter in Mr Alexander's and Carney's absence.
Mr Alexander appeared about 15 minutes later with Carney, who was dressed in a sharp suit, the footballer's mother Leanne and a Salvation Army representative.
Ms Milledge berated Mr Alexander for his "disgraceful" and "unbelievable tardiness" and said his client wouldn't be given any special treatment because of his celebrity status.
"All men are equal in this court," she said.
