Parramatta Eels’ Jaeman Salmon convicted of drink driving
EXCLUSIVE: a contrite NRL player who was caught drink driving has apologised to his community after he hit three cars and flipped while he was checking his mobile phone.
St George Shire Standard
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A contrite NRL player who was caught drink driving has apologised to his community after he hit three cars and flipped while he was checking his mobile phone.
Parramatta Eels first-grader Jaeman Salmon, 20, told police he was checking his phone when he crossed to the wrong side of Kareena Rd in Miranda, hit three unoccupied parked cars and flipped his Jeep Cherokee just after 9am on October 13.
He was taken to St George Hospital with head injuries and then returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.068 after drinking at least eight standard drinks while clubbing in Cronulla the night before.
Salmon’s solicitor Warwick Korn told Magistrate Jayeann Carney the Caringbah man was “very scared and contrite” when he appeared at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.
“He says, I’m here to say sorry and not to ask for leniency,” Mr Korn said.
“The trauma of the offence, I’m instructed, has moved him to publicly and sincerely apologise to the court and the local community.
“He and his family were shaken to the core.”
Ms Carney convicted Salmon of low-range drink driving, fined him $1500 and disqualified him from driving for six months.
Salmon had arrived home at 3am that morning, slept for six hours and rose at 9am to get breakfast and buy a suit for an event at Westfield Miranda when the crash occurred.
Agreed police facts state Salmon was “walking around in a dazed state” after extracting himself from his upturned vehicle.
“I think I might have been looking at my phone,” Salmon told police.
“I don’t know if I was texting, or using Facebook - I just remember looking up and hitting something before the car started rolling.”
Mr Korn told Ms Carney Salmon was aware he or others could have lost their lives that day.
“He has a job as a footballer which carries a lot of responsibility, including behaving appropriately in the community,” Ms Carney said.
“A person’s life can change overnight - as a magistrate for 21 years, I have seen the trauma to the individuals appearing before the court, and this is an area which causes the community to really suffer.”
Salmon was a green P-plater at the time of the offence and was not permitted to have any alcohol in his blood at all.
“He is a smart, intelligent young man and he should have thought about (what he was doing) before he got into the vehicle,” Ms Carney said.
“I wish you all the best, but don’t drink and drive.”
Salmon arrived at court on crutches due to an injury sustained at training.
A Parramatta Eels spokesman said the club would complete an internal disciplinary process with Salmon.
“The club views drink-driving as an extremely serious offence and we have reiterated to Jaeman that this behaviour is unacceptable,” the spokesman said.