The Snitch: Former NRL star Stuart Webb charged with drink-driving while his licence was suspended
Radio star Kate Ritchie’s husband — former Roosters and Dragons player Stuart Webb — allegedly ran a red light, blew 0.083 on a breathalyser and was driving on a suspended licence when he was pulled over by police this week.
NSW
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Radio star Kate Ritchie’s husband — former rugby league star Stuart Webb — has been charged with drink-driving while his licence was suspended.
Police will allege Webb had a tipple before getting behind the wheel of a car in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on March 26.
Officers allegedly spotted Webb running a red light on Avoca St, Randwick — just a short distance from the couple’s home — just after 4pm. According to court documents, he blew 0.083 when police put him on a breathalyser.
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A further check of the police system landed the former Roosters and Dragons player in more trouble, with it revealing the 38-year-old was driving while his licence was cancelled.
He was charged with driving while his licence was cancelled and mid-range drink-driving.
It’s the first time Webb has been charged with either offence, according to court records. He was issued with a court attendance notice to appear at Waverley Local Court on April 16. If convicted, the former league player could face a minimum of six months off the road for the drink-driving offence plus a court-imposed alcohol interlock order, which is an electronic breath-testing device that is linked to the ignition system of his car.
Driving with a cancelled licence carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail plus a $3300 fine if convicted.
Webb proposed to former Home And Away star Ritchie while the pair were holidaying in Europe in 2009. The pair married the following year and had their first child in 2014, a daughter they named Mae.
THE CASE OF THE $1 CHIP
There’s always some excitable cops out there and this week one of their ranks has brought us a court case that has every seagull in Australia sweating.
It involves a man from Western Sydney who has been charged with larceny for stealing one single chip.
According to the charge sheet filed in court, the person “did steal certain property to the value of $1, to wit, fried potato chip, the property of the victim.”
Now, that must be some chip if it costs $1 on its own.
The Snitch, which has some expertise in all matters deep fried, suspects we might actually be dealing with the theft of a potato scallop.
We’re still chasing further details of the case — such as who is the accused and if he was on the sauce at the time of the alleged offence. But police say he failed to give a crisp explanation and charged him, rubbing (chicken) salt into his wound.
It’s not uncommon for police to lay minor charges with a view to pressing more serious charges in the future. We’re not sure if that’s the case in this instance, but luckily for our alleged snack nabber, Legal Aid has agreed to let him board the taxpayer-funded gravy train by chipping in to mash together a defence, so he won’t be up for a packet.
But if it all goes down the wrong way, he could get fried as larceny carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.
Then again, maybe he’ll a-peel.
(Sorry, The Snitch couldn’t help themselves).
IVORY TOWER
It’s the place where police announced they’d captured NSW’s most wanted man and told the world they’d brought the Lindt Cafe siege to an end.
Now the executive home for NSW Police Force’s top brass in Sydney’s CBD is being turned into a hotel.
The redevelopment has forced the state’s top cops to start looking for a new home and prepare their goodbyes to the sprawling views of Hyde Park and Garden Island.
Deputy commissioners, the big boss himself and the media unit occupy leased offices on two floors of the building.
The Snitch understands the high-rise will be knocked down and the top brass could soon edge closer to Macquarie St.
BIRD BRAIN
The Snitch doesn’t want to mention seagulls twice in the one column but in this case, well, it would be wrong not to.
The story that fluttered across our desk this week involves a man who got into trouble with the cops when he tried to take a selfie with one of the always-hungry seabirds.
According to police, the man stumbled out of one of Manly’s watering holes in the early hours of last Sunday and tried to grab the bird while taking a selfie.
He managed to wrap his hand around the squawking bird and was heard yelling “I’ve got one” when police strolled over.
According to Northern Beaches Police, an officer grabbed the 23-year-old’s hand, firmly told him to release the bird before giving him a move-on direction.
Got a snitch? Contact
Ava.benny-morrison@news.com.au
or Brenden.hills@news.com.au
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