Wendell Sailor behind bars after being charged with resisting arrest
Former NRL premiership winner Wendell Sailor has been charged with breach of bail, obstructing traffic and resisting arrest after police found him allegedly blocking traffic in Wollongong.
EX NRL superstar Wendell Sailor spent a night behind bars after being arrested over a drunken incident where he allegedly “obstructed traffic” and resisted arrest.
With his hands cuffed, bare feet and still wearing the Chicago Bulls T-shirt he was arrested in, the 51-year-old former dual international was granted bail on Saturday over a bizarre episode in Wollongong on Friday night.
Police said they were called to Throsby Dr -- a four lane thoroughfare -- at 11pm after receiving reports Sailor was blocking traffic.
The four time premiership winner was then arrested after he allegedly resisted police.
The former Broncos and Wallabies winger was taken to Wollongong Police Station where he was charged with obstructing traffic and resisting arrest.
He was also charged with breaching his bail conditions stemming from a separate court case, which includes not being intoxicated in a public place.
In that case, Sailor has pleaded not guilty to assaulting two men in a Sydney CBD bar in November 2024.
In court on Saturday, the police prosecutor in the matter argued for Sailor to be kept in prison or be placed on strict bail conditions not to consume alcohol or drugs if released.
Sailor’s Legal Aid lawyer Palistha Chitrakar told the court a no alcohol condition could be “setting him up to fail”.
“He is just worried that putting him on a no drugs or alcohol condition around Christmas is going to make it harder for him to comply,” Ms Chitrakar said.
Ms Chitrakar told the court that Sailor admitted the breach of bail.
She also said Sailor was struggling through a “rough patch” in his life and is going through a divorce.
“He accepts he was in the wrong by being intoxicated in a public place,” Ms Chitrakar said. “It was all due to the current difficulties in his life.”
“He has some mental health issues that he does not wish to disclose to the court.”
She also told the court Sailor currently doesn’t have a job and does sporadic brand endorsement work.
The magistrate hearing the matter released Sailor on bail with strict conditions, including that he not be intoxicated in public.
“Police were just doing their job..it’s a hard job and made even harder when people don’t comply with police doing their work,” the magistrate told Sailor.
Sailor responded: “Yes sir.”
Sailor represented the Broncos and Dragons during his 222-game NRL career.
He then crossed codes, playing 37 Tests for the Wallabies before a drug ban for cocaine ended his time in rugby union.
After a two-year ban, Sailor returned to rugby league, ending his career with the Dragons.
Having forged a career in the media, he announced his retirement from Triple M “effective immediately” in July last year.
In November 2024, Sailor was charged with assaulting two men inside Pappy’s Bar in the Sydney CBD.
He is set to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on December 19 on those charges.
For the latest set of charges, Sailor was ordered to appear in Wollongong Local Court on December 16.
Originally published as Wendell Sailor behind bars after being charged with resisting arrest
