Former Gold Coast Titan Dave Taylor fined over cocaine charges
FORMER Gold Coast Titans player Dave Taylor has been fined $1000 over cocaine charges.
Crime and Court
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FORMER Gold Coast Titans player Dave Taylor has been fined $1000 over cocaine charges.
The former Queensland State of Origin star was charged with supplying cocaine alongside Joe Vickery and Jamie Dowling in 2014 in the drugs scandal that rocked the NRL.
Taylor’s charges were later downgraded and the 28-year-old, who is currently trialling for a contract with the Canberra Raiders, plead guilty in August to two charges of possessing cocaine during his time at the Titans in late 2014.
Taylor, who was today sentenced in the Southport District Court, had no conviction recorded.
Crown prosecutor Mark Whitbread said Taylor had clearly sourced the cocaine for “personal use”.
“It is a low level of offending,” he said.
Taylor’s defence lawyer Campbell MacCallum of Moloney MacCallum Lawyers, said his client had undertaken a drug-education program following the charges.
Several references were supplied to the court, including one from Taylor’s sports agent which explained his earnings had decreased by about 80 per cent following the charges.
The court heard Taylor did not know if he would be cleared by the NRL’s integrity unit to be registered as a player for the 2017 season, following today’s sentence.
Mr MacCallum said Taylor had separated from his wife and sold his home as a result of the stress and media attention following the charges.
In September, Vickery was sentenced to 120 hours of community service and slapped with a $1000 fine after being charged with six counts of cocaine possession.
Earlier this year, Dowling was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty to seven counts of possession of a dangerous drug.
He also received a sentence of 200 hours of community service and a $500 fine for being the middle man, facilitating the supply of the drug to a friend.
More to come.
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