Ezra Mam pleads guilty after Bardon crash
A Brisbane mother who lost her daughter in a car accident involving a drunk driver has hit out at the penalty handed to Brisbane Broncos star Ezra Mam, after he pleaded guilty to driving unlicensed and with cocaine in his system.
Police & Courts
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Brisbane Broncos star Ezra Mam says he will “promise to be a better person” after pleading guilty to two charges after a crash two months ago that injured a four-year-old girl.
Queensland Police charged the 21-year-old in November following the two-vehicle traffic crash at Bardon, west Brisbane, about 5.20pm on October 18.
Prosecution told the court that about 5.30pm on the day of the crash, officers from The Gap attended a two-car crash in Bardon involving Mam and an Uber driver.
Police spoke with both drivers and conducted checks on their licenses where they discovered Mam’s license was demerit-point suspended.
Mam told police he knew his license was suspended and was moving house.
He was taken to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital where his blood was taken and he tested positive to cocaine.
On Monday, Mam was clean shaven and wearing a dark suit as he was supported by his mum in court, who flew to Brisbane from the Torres Strait Islands to be with him.
Mam was calm and composed during his matter, saying “guilty, Your Honour” when entering his pleas to the charges of driving without a licence and driving while relevant drug present in blood.
Defence lawyer Bettina Webb told the court Mam had gone to rehab at The Banyans Healthcare for four weeks after the crash and was undertaking 12 months of counselling.
Ms Webb also submitted a number of character references, including from Broncos wellbeing and education manager Adam Walsh and Institute of Urban Indigenous Health CEO Adrian Carson.
“He has undertaken some in-house rehabilitation, he has ongoing counselling for a period of one year which will support any ongoing stresses he does have,” Ms Webb said.
“Certainly it is the case that this court will impose a punishment, but his punishments go far greater and beyond this courtroom than it otherwise would for any other person.”
In sentencing, Magistrate Mark Nolan said Mam knew what he did was wrong and declared his behaviour as “stupid”.
“On this particular occasion you shouldn’t have been driving because of the fact you didn’t have a license,” Mr Nolan said.
“Having made that stupid decision to get behind the wheel of the car, as well as use illicit substances as well … a cocktail of cocaine and other matters that were found in your blood on this occasion.
“At so many levels you are fortunate to stand where you are today … you could have been injured or killed, or the other persons could have been injured or killed.
“There’s no place for illicit drugs in our community, and there’s certainly no place for a person who is using illicit drugs to get behind the wheel of a car.
“You’ve got to learn from this.”
The Courier-Mail understands the other drugs present in the blood analysis were anti-inflammatories and paracetamol Mam received at the hospital.
Mr Nolan took into account Mam’s “very good” references, limited traffic history and extra-curial punishment when sentencing him.
Mam was disqualified from driving for six months and fined $850.
Mr Nolan said he took into account a letter from the Broncos about Mam requiring a Blue Card when deciding to not record a conviction.
Mr Nolan warned Mam not to drive or face jail.
“A person who is convicted of driving once they’ve been disqualified by a court faces imprisonment of up to 18 months … so don’t drive during the disqualification period,” Mr Nolan said.
Mam addressed media outside court after his sentence, flanked by his legal team, reading a short statement where he apologised profusely for his actions.
“Today is an important step in owning my actions and starting to make things right,” Mam said.
“To all the people involved in this accident, I’m truly sorry.
“This incident isn’t a reflection of who I want to be or what is expected of me as a role model.
“And, to the NRL, the Broncos, my teammates, the fans, and my family – I am sorry, and I promise to be a better person and representative of the club and the game that I love.”
He was fined $850 in total for both offences and his licence was disqualified for six months.
No conviction was recorded.
A spokesman for Mam confirmed that the Broncos player has spoken with all parties involved in the crash, and that he will continue to stay in contact with them while the matter is being resolved. Mam had been unable to do so earlier, citing restrictions imposed by the legal process.
The driver of an Uber that collided head-on with Broncos star Ezra Mam Marcel Van Den Camp has said he felt “the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.”
“Absolutely disgusting. The punishment doesn’t fit the crime. There’s not talk of compensation for his victims,” Mr Van Den Camp told 9News.
Another victim, who did not reveal their identity, told 9News she was in “shock.”
“To be honest I am in shock. I cried instantly, I cried,” she said.
The woman told 9News that Ezra Mam called the family this afternoon but had not visited them in person.
“He said if he could take it all back, he would,” she said.
Redland woman Judy Lindsay said the penalties for Mam should have been more stringent to serve as a stronger deterrent and reflect the seriousness of his actions.
Ms Lindsay said the decision to not record a conviction, considering the injury to a child and Mam’s prior knowledge of his licence suspension, should be enough to jail a person.
“People should realise that their driving behaviour will affect their livelihood and income if they disobey the rules,” she said.
“We will not have change unless we have courts backing up the tough laws that are designed to deter bad driving.
“We have had a mayor, a TV presenter, a number of sports stars and politicians who have disobeyed the laws and yet are supposed to be setting examples for young people.
“This sentence for Ezra Mam is too lenient and shows we need harsher sentences to stop the culture of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”
Ms Lindsay’s daughter Hayley was 20 when she died in a crash at Alexandra Hills in 2009.