Police drop cocaine charge against Queensland Reds rugby player Karmichael Hunt
POLICE have dropped a cocaine charge against Wallabies star Karmichael Hunt, but he has been fined $600 for another indiscretion and contravening a police direction.
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POLICE have dropped a cocaine charge against Wallabies star Karmichael Hunt, but he has been fined $600 for possession of Xanax and contravening a police direction.
He appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court for the second time this morning charged with two counts of drug possession and one of contravening a direction or requirement from police.
The troubled code-hopping superstar sat in the back of a packed courtroom with his lawyer, Adam Magill, before being called to stand before the magistrate.
The cocaine charge was dropped due to lack of evidence, but he pleaded guilty to possession of Xanax and failing to provide identifying particulars to police.
Mr Magill said Hunt’s wife gave him the prescription drug Xanax when he was going through a stressful time.
“He can’t sleep, he had a tablet for that purpose,” he said.
He said Hunt failed to give his identifying particulars to police because he was a “prisoner in his own home” due to the media attention after he was charged on December 30.
Magistrate Barry Cosgrove said Hunt was in the public eye and given the recent scrutiny on footballers behaving badly, he needed to do better.
“You need to make sure that you are like Caesar’s wife, that is beyond reproach,” Mr Cosgrove said.
He did not record a conviction so Hunt can continue to travel internationally.
Originally published as Police drop cocaine charge against Queensland Reds rugby player Karmichael Hunt