Former Warwick football star Jaime John Abbas pleads guilty to a string of serious offences in Warwick Magistrates Court
A promising athlete's devastating battle with addiction has led to more time behind bars after he reoffended within 24 hours of his ankle monitor being removed.
Addiction’s chokehold was laid bare in a Warwick courtroom when a former rising football star stood behind a glass dock in his prison greens.
His pages-long criminal history told a harrowing story of just how devastating drug addiction can be on a person and their family.
Jaime John Abbas, now aged 30, stood before Warwick Magistrates Court on November 19, having only been released on parole months earlier.
The court was told Abbas committed the latest string of serious offences just one day after his electronic ankle monitor had been removed.
Abbas pleaded guilty to one count each of dangerous operation of a vehicle, enter premises and commit indictable offence by break, evade police, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing utensils, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and contravening a police direction.
While the full details of the offending weren’t divulged in court, it’s understood among the most serious offending involved Abbas ramming another vehicle while in a stolen vehicle.
Magistrate Janice Crawford reminded Abbas he could break free of addiction and that he was not beyond rehabilitation.
“I don’t think it’s fair to say that you're beyond rehabilitation, I think you’ve done a lot of courses in custody and have done quite well at different times,” she said.
“When you’ve come out things haven’t gone too well for you and that may well be just because of the grip that the substance abuse and dependence actually has on you at the moment.
“People are able to break free from addiction, you just have to keep trying.”
Supported by his family in court, a flood of emotions was released when Ms Crawford told Abbas he would be returned to prison.
Abbas’ 13 days in pre-sentence custody was declared as time served, and he will be eligible for parole on August 19, 2026.
He was also disqualified from driving for the next four years.
