Robert Cosgrove admits to leaving mate Sam Brown on the side of Gold Coast road, drunk and shoeless

A GOLD Coast man was left on the side of the road drunk, shoeless and without a working phone by a close mate who lied for three years about what happened the night he died. The revelation led to a dramatic confrontation at the courthouse.

BURLEIGH bombers player Sam Brown was left on the side of the road drunk, shoeless and without a working mobile phone by one of his close mates who lied for three years about what happened the night he died.

Robert Cosgrove yesterday told a coronial inquest in Southport he had left Mr Brown, 20, in order to go meet a girl he had been talking to via an online dating website.

Less than half an hour later Mr Brown was found on the side of the Gold Coast Highway at Mermaid Beach about 2.30am on November 25, 2012 with severe head and facial injuries.

He later died in hospital.

Samuel Brown, 20, was found with severe head injuries on the Gold Coast Highway in Mermaid Beach in November 2012. He later died in hospital. Picture: Supplied

Mr Cosgrove, who now works for the Logan City Council, was the last to see him before the accident and for years he claimed he had lost track of where Mr Brown was.

The revelation of the lie left Mr Brown’s family reeling.

“What has our family ever done to you,” Mr Brown’s mother, Leanne Brown, yelled from the back of the courtroom.

Mr Brown’s brother Nick, stormed from the courtroom when he heard Mr Cosgrove had been using his name to pick up a girl named “Kitty” via the online dating site.

“Are you (expletive) kidding me,” he yelled before leaving.

Mr Cosgrove told the inquest he had maintained he had “lost” Mr Brown on a night out until police confronted him in 2015 with the text messages he sent to Kitty arranging to meet.

Robert Cosgrove leaves the inquest into the death of Samuel Brown. Picture: Lea Emery

“I was riddled with guilt about leaving him behind and what happened afterwards,” Mr Cosgrove said.

The pair had been walking from Mermaid Beach to Broadbeach to go to nightclubs after a mutual friends birthday party which was described as “uneventful”.

He said he knew Mr Brown was drunk, did not have any shoes on and that his mobile phone battery was flat.

“I was ashamed I just walked away from my mate,” Mr Cosgrove said.

As Mr Cosgrove left, Mr Brown’s family called him a “coward” and a “dog”.

Police believed Mr Brown had been struck by a car and charged former taxi driver Justin Hartley with failing to stop at an accident.

Samuel Brown.

The charges were later dropped.

Police forensic crash investigator Senior Constable Steve Cornish said Mr Cosgrove’s explanation of events had gaps.

“He was inconsistent, incoherent and vague,” he said.

“He provides at least four different versions around what their particular movements were.”

Friends of Mr Brown told the inquest Mr Cosgrove had not spoken at length about what had happened that night.

Snr Constable Cornish told the inquest he spent months trying to piece together what had happened but concluded Mr Brown was not struck by a car.

Funeral for Samuel Timothy Brown held at the Dream Centre Church at Carrara in 2012.

He said there were no injuries on Mr Brown’s feet despite the fact he was not wearing shoes.

Snr Const. Cornish said there was also no debris on the road or road rash on Mr Brown.

He said none of the main factors which occurred in pedestrian accidents were present at the scene — something he had never seen before.

The inquest continues today.