The former South Sydney captain was charged on Monday afternoon with driving an unregistered car and police will allege the Englishman has never held a NSW driver’s licence.Police also allege he returned a positive roadside drug test for cocaine which has been sent away for further analysis.He was pulled over at 1.30pm while driving a BMW X5 on the Old Hume Highway at Braemar in the Southern Highlands.
The 32-year-old was subjected to a random roadside drug test before being taken to Southern Highlands Police Station where he underwent a secondary oral fluid test, police said. The sample has been sent for further analysis.Burgess and his lawyer have been contacted for comment.He is believed to have been driving to visit his children.The Daily Telegraph understands the visit was initially planned to take place at the property Burgess rents just outside Bowral.Hours before though, it is believed Burgess was notified he needed to drive to Bowral to collect them from the local Botanic Gardens.Police pulled Burgess over when he exited the highway from Sydney.
Sam Burgess
He was issued a court attendance notice for the charges of driving a vehicle while a resident of more than three months and not obtaining a local licence and using an unregistered vehicle.He is due to appear at Moss Vale Local Court on May 4.Days earlier Burgess is understood to have celebrated his older brother Luke’s 34th birthday at Coogee’s Marrah restaurant.Sources say he partied with family and friends on Saturday night but was up early on Sunday morning to play golf at The Coast Golf Club just before 7am.Cocaine can remain in the human body for between two and 10 days.Burgess was a star signing for Souths from English club Bradford for the 2010 season and quickly rose up the ranks to be one of the game’s biggest names.He had been driving on his British licence since moving to Australia.After obtaining his Australian citizenship last year, it was then up to him to transfer to a NSW licence, which police allege he had failed to do.
Earlier this month Burgess was found guilty of intimidating his ex-wife’s father Mitchell Hooke at his Glenquarry property on October 19, 2019 with the intention of causing him physical and mental harm.Outside Moss Vale Local Court on the day of his conviction, Burgess told reporters: “We’re confused by the decision. We’ve appealed the decision. I won’t say anything more, thank you.”The ex-Rabbitohs captain was sentenced on February 5 to a two-year community correction order with anger management support.Burgess is forbidden from approaching his father-in- law, the former CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia, nor is he allowed within one kilometre of Mr Hooke’s farm property.He had previously pleaded not guilty to one charge of intimidation and a back-up charge of assault, which was withdrawn.The verdict was the culmination of a difficult four months for Burgess since he split from his wife after four years of marriage.
The court accepted Burgess was going through an ugly separation, but the judge said that did not excuse the fact Mr Hooke had a right to feel comfortable in his own home.Burgess’ legal team accused Ms Burgess of attempting to “destroy” her former husband’s reputation by leaking to The Australian newspaper.But the court rejected the defence’s assertion that Mr Hooke and his daughter “orchestrated” a smear campaign.Burgess stood down from his role as an assistant coach at South Sydney after the NRL and NSW Police announced investigations into the allegations of domestic violence and drug abuse. No charges have been laid.
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