Lleyton Pal: BMX champion faces court over cocaine possession
A champion BMX star, from the Central Coast, has faced court on a drug possession charge after he “attempted to run from police” when cocaine was found in his wallet.
Central Coast
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A BMX champion will be able to travel freely overseas to compete after avoiding a conviction for cocaine possession.
Lleyton Phillip Pal faced Gosford Local Court where he pleaded guilty to one offence of possessing a prohibited drug.
A set of agreed police facts tendered to court state the 20-year-old from Terrigal was in the back seat of a car at 10.30pm on April 9 near Anniversary Ave.
The facts state police were looking for another male in relation to a separate, unrelated incident which had occurred earlier.
Given Pal matched the description of the other man police were looking for officers asked him to get out of the car so they could speak to him.
They asked if he had any identification on him but he said he did not have any.
The facts state police noticed what looked like a wallet in his pocket and he agreed and handed it to them.
“Once he did this he became extremely agitated with police and began to sweat profusely,” the facts read.
“He attempted numerous times to take possession back of his identification, however was unsuccessful.”
Police said they wished to search his wallet because of his behaviour and because he matched the description of a male they were looking for.
“While looking for identification police have noticed a small resealable bag contained within his wallet,” the facts read.
“He informed police that it wasn’t his and that it was a ‘drug’.”
He was handcuffed and while police attempted to move him to the police vehicle he “attempted to run from police however, he was immediately apprehended from doing this and walked to the truck without further incident”.
Back at Woy Woy Police Station officers activated body worn video and weighed the bag in front of him and it came in at 0.45g.
“He then stated that the drug was in fact his and that it was cocaine,” the facts read.
He said he had consumed some before being arrested and it was the first time he used cocaine after buying it from an unknown male at Terrigal for $300, the facts added.
His solicitor David Kelly told the court it was the first time Pal had used cocaine and was under a fair bit of “peer pressure” from other friends on the night.
He tendered photocopies of Pal’s passport showing visa stamps of countries where he had competed internationally along with a copy of his contract with his sponsor.
“It’s weighed on his mind heavily,” Mr Kelly said of the prospect of a conviction.
Magistrate Peter Barnett said as an international champion of any sport Pal would have young people looking up to him as a role model.
“I imagine there are young people out there who follow your sport and I have watched it myself on occasions,” he said.
“Not sure if my back would hold up for it but you put yourself in a position where others look up to you.
“They might pick up a paper tomorrow and it says Lleyton Pal uses cocaine.”
Mr Barnett said it was amazing how many people appeared before him caught with drugs the very first time they used them.
However he told the court he had to sentence Pal for what the facts and his clean record indicated was an “isolated incident”.
Mr Barnett put Pal on a conditional release order for 18 months without a conviction.
Pal was signed to Gold Coast based Crisp Bros Racing in 2015 as a 15-year-old and remains one of the team’s Elite Men riders.
