Explosive Payne Haas rant revealed in court documents

Payne Haas’ expletive-riddled run-in with police has been revealed in court documents, with the Broncos star telling a female cop: ‘Cause you’re a woman you think I won’t touch ya’ and daring police to taser him.

Details of Payne Haas’s explosive and expletive-riddled showdown with police have been revealed in court documents, with the Broncos star telling a female cop: “‘Cause you’re a woman you think I won’t touch ya’.

He also told cops he would ‘take youse all on myself’ and dared them to taser him.

Haas pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court on Thursday to two counts of intimidating police during a confrontation at Jack Evans Boat Harbour on January 16 while he was with his pregnant partner Leilani Mohenoa.

The 21-year-old giant was given a two-year good behaviour order but no conviction was recorded.

A statement of police facts tendered to the court revealed that when asked for ID by Senior-Constable Anthony Attard, Haas became aggressive.

“F..k the ID,” he told the officer.

“I don’t need to give you ID.”

Police again tried to reason with Haas but he responded: “You got a badge on and you think you’re a tough f..ing c...t’.

“Let’s get the f..k out of here. Just taser me you dumb c..t.”

Payne Haas fronts Tweed Heads Court. Picture: Scott Powick

When Sen Const Attard said he wasn’t tasering anyone, Haas ranted: “Don’t come near me bro, I’ll f...ing jab ya, on my mother’s life I will.”

As police and Haas approached the water’s edge, Haas said: “Get the f..k out of my face or I’ll take youse all on myself, you f...wits.”

When police warned him about his language, Haas again let fly.

“Oh, f..k off, suck my d..k. I’ll f...en take youse all out, you’re f...wits.”

Haas then accused Constable Brittany Griffiths of looking at him.

“Why you looking at me like that?” he challenged her.

“Cause you’re a woman you think I won’t touch ya?”

Police said Haas continued to be argumentative but ‘calmed down’ down after he was taken to the watch-house and apologised.

The police facts said Haas earned $550,000 a season at the Broncos, was paying a $3000-a-month mortgage and his partner was 20 weeks’ pregnant.

In a statement, issued following the court appearance, Haas said he took “full responsibility for what happened” and was “extremely sorry” for his actions on that night.

“I have gone to see the police officers involved and offered them a full apology for my conduct, as well as spending time with police going through what I did,” he said.

“I had been drinking and the words I used and the way I acted were totally unacceptable. I’d like to thank the police for taking the time to see me, and accepting my apology.

“I did the wrong thing and let myself down as well as my family and the Club – but most importantly, I acted in way that showed disrespect to the police, and I am really sorry for that.

“I will learn from this incident and I will be a better person in the future.”

Haas pleaded guilty to two counts of intimidating police, while a charge of using offensive language was dropped.

The court heard the maximum penalty for the offences was five years’ jail.

Mr Garratt said Haas was ‘completely shattered, extremely embarrassed and extremely remorseful’ and appealed to the magistrate not to impose a conviction.

Payne Haas. Picture: Scott Powick

He said Haas had a ‘quite traumatic upbringing’, having been exposed to domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse, and both his parents had spent time in jail.

“Rugby league has been his saviour,” Mr Garratt told the court.

Mr Garratt said COVID-19 meant Haas and his family had not been able to properly grieve the loss of his brother Chace, who died last year.

He said Haas was facing significant sanctions and would be given a ‘higher penalty’ by the Broncos and NRL Integrity Unit if convicted.

Haas ‘hardly drinks at all’ but had a couple of drinks on the night of the incident and ‘reacted with poor behaviour’ towards police, Mr Garratt said.

He said Haas had personally apologised to police of his own volition.

Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Greg Huxtable said the incident had gone for about three minutes after Haas was ‘swept up’ in a nearby incident.

He said Haas had shown ‘genuine remorse’.

Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy agreed not to record a conviction but said it was a difficult decision due to the seriousness of the charge.

Mr Dunlevy said police faced a ‘thankless’ and at-times dangerous task and offenders needed to be deterred.

He said Haas stood ‘at the crossroads’ and could have had a ‘permanent stain against your name’.

But Mr Dunlevy said there were significant mitigating factors, including the death of his brother which was ‘one of the reasons why you behaved in the way that you did’.

But he told Haas he was still young with ‘very good prospects for rehabilitation’ and time to turn his life around.

Haas was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond.

The Broncos star had slipped into court four days early to face charges stemming from the run-in with police.

Haas was arrested at Tweed Heads in January 16 and charged with intimidating police and using offensive language after an alleged incident with his pregnant partner, Leilani Mohenoa.

He was due to face Tweed Heads Local Court next Monday but his lawyer, Dave Garratt, had the case brought on early.

Haas said nothing as he arrived at court with an entourage including Ms Mohenoa.

Haas pleaded guilty to two counts of intimidating police, while a charge of using offensive language was dropped.

The court heard the maximum penalty for the offences was five years’ jail.

Payne Haas was charged with intimidating police after an alleged incident with his partner at Tweed Heads. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Steve Holland

Broncos CEO Paul White said the Club was working with the NRL Integrity Unit on finalising the matter.

Mr White said: “Payne’s behaviour was disappointing and not acceptable – he knows he has done the wrong thing and has taken ownership of his actions, and apologised in person to the police involved as well as sitting with them to run through his behaviour on that night.

“Those steps, off his own bat, show that Payne wants to be better and improve as a person, and we will continue to work with Payne to ensure he sure he continues to receive the support and education that he needs.”

In a statement issued by the Broncos, Haas said he took full responsibility for his ‘totally unacceptable’ behaviour and was ‘extremely sorry’.

“I have gone to see the police officers involved and offered them a full apology for my conduct, as well as spending time with police going through what I did,” he said.

“I had been drinking and the words I used and the way I acted were totally unacceptable. I’d like to thank the police for taking the time to see me, and accepting my apology.

“I did the wrong thing and let myself down as well as my family and the club – but most importantly, I acted in way that showed disrespect to the police, and I am really sorry for that.

“I will learn from this incident and I will be a better person in the future.”

Broncos CEO Paul White said the Club was working with the NRL Integrity Unit on finalising the matter.

Mr White said: “Payne’s behaviour was disappointing and not acceptable – he knows he has done the wrong thing and has taken ownership of his actions, and apologised in person to the police involved as well as sitting with them to run through his behaviour on that night.

“Those steps, off his own bat, show that Payne wants to be better and improve as a person, and we will continue to work with Payne to ensure he sure he continues to receive the support and education that he needs.”

Payne Haas at Brisbane Broncos training, Red Hill. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

Earlier, Haas’s former lawyer Campbell MacCallum had dismissed reports that Haas and Ms Mohenoa had been involved in a domestic incident.

“Payne was enjoying a night out with his wife having dinner and a few drinks,” Mr MacCallum told The Courier-Mail.

“What a lot of the public don’t know is that Payne’s older brother passed away last year and Payne has been struggling with a huge amount of grief over this.

“The passing of his brother added to the pressure of being thrown into the limelight with his rapid rise to rugby league stardom was bubbling to the surface.

“He has a big family support system but his wife describes him as shy and the type of person who “bottles up” his emotions.

“His partner describes Payne as a gentle giant at all times at home and the reports of a domestic situation included in the situation are completely false.”

Mr MacCallum said Haas and Ms Mohenoa were sitting and talking ‘and Payne was upset’. “His partner was consoling him and trying to settle him down as all of his emotions spilt over,” he said.

“Police were in the area and attending to a wild incident (brawl) about 20m away which had nothing to do with Payne.

“The police approached him out of the blue and started firing questions at him. Payne was in a heightened state of emotion, confused and being confronted with many police officers. “What transpired after that will be the subject of further inquiries but he is devastated, as is his partner, that inaccurate reports of a domestic situation was occurring.”

Haas has also been ordered to complete a police education course as part of his punishment from the Broncos.