Only in WA

[ROK Lobster]

The 27-year-old footballer was not drunk, but he knew journalists would descend upon him if he was breathtested, even if he blew under the limit, his lawyer Peter Momber told Perth Magistrates Court.

So in a "moment of madness" Cousins parked the four-wheel drive car diagonally across the middle lane of a Perth highway, grabbed his keys, ran off to answer a call of nature and just kept running, Mr Momber said

Yeah, ok - not drunk Mr Cousins, just needed a wee.

I am amazed with the arguments some defence lawyers come up with. According to what we have here, Cousins was thinking clearly enough to know that parking a car in the middle of a highway and running from the police would bring less attention than blowing under the limit on a random breath test. He is either lying (poorly) or if that is what he was really thinking then he must have been out of his tree. Either way, very good footballer.

Sauce

This was my favourite bit though:

Magistrate Peter Malone had asked if the guilty plea was coming from "the Ben Cousins", saying he would feel uncomfortable sentencing the footballer because he was an avid Eagles supporter and went to every home game.

Real fan. Real committment.

[573v30]

Well, WA drivers are the worst in Australia...

[giant]

Originally posted by 573v30
Well, WA drivers are the worst in Australia...

No arguments from me on that 573 (if I can call u that...).

What staggers me is the precedent it sets - if you see a booze bus in Perth now you'd be a mug not to do a runner & blame a weak bladder.

[goswannie14]

The league should give him the Wendell Sailor treatment. When he got drunk and into trouble his club suspended him for 1 match and the ARU suspended him for 2 matches.

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by giant
No arguments from me on that 573 (if I can call u that...).

What staggers me is the precedent it sets - if you see a booze bus in Perth now you'd be a mug not to do a runner & blame a weak bladder.

It's like hit-run drunk drivers in Victoria, they run because they get a lesser penalty for leaving the scene of an accident than if they were breath tested over the limit.

[Carolyn]

However, when Cousins saw the booze bus he was overwhelmed by anxiety, fearing the media would descend upon him even if he blew under the driving limit, Mr Momber said.

Assuming that all he said was true and that he really was going to the toilet and not avoiding getting caught drunk, would the media descend on him more if he was under the driving limit or if he abandoned his car to answer the call of nature?...Seriously, "Benny caught peeing in the bushes" would probably have been more of a story than "Benny, driving safely"

[giant]

Originally posted by Carolyn
Assuming that all he said was true and that he really was going to the toilet and not avoiding getting caught drunk, would the media descend on him more if he was under the driving limit or if he abandoned his car to answer the call of nature?...Seriously, "Benny caught peeing in the bushes" would probably have been more of a story than "Benny, driving safely"

Actually, in the case of "The West Australian", "Benny visits local delicatessen" constitutes a page 3 story. However, you're rite that the bush-peeing story would probably command a supplement.

[swansrule100]

you gotta go to the toilet before you leave that way you avoid trouble like this

[Thunder Shaker]

Magistrate Peter Malone had asked if the guilty plea was coming from "the Ben Cousins", saying he would feel uncomfortable sentencing the footballer because he was an avid Eagles supporter and went to every home game.

Maybe the magistrate should have disqualified himself from the case due to a conflict of interest.

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by Thunder Shaker
Maybe the magistrate should have disqualified himself from the case due to a conflict of interest.

But he proceeded after Mr Momber explained it was impossible to go anywhere without finding lovers of the sport, and that other magistrates had already disqualified themselves for similar reasons.

Source

[Pommie Swannie]

The report I read said the judge said "I think you've suffered enough".

So, for a high profile sportsman, no cut in salary and no chance of loss of employment is enough? Sounds fantastic - why don't we all go out and get pi**ed and drive home?!?

I'm sick of sports personalities being given lighter sentences (Mr Williams step forward as another example) than would be the case for us mere mortals! And I'm no hypocrite, if it was Bazza I'd argue he got the same sentence as if I'd committed the crime.

The age old argument is that sports stars are role models. Why is it that that never extends to the criminal courts??