Wendell Sailor: Private struggle emerges as star faces court
An NRL legend and former Wallaby as been arrested in an incident chalked up to his divorce and subsequent “rough patch in life”, a court has been told.
Former NRL legend Wendell Sailor’s recent brush with custody has been chalked up to his divorce and subsequent “rough patch in life”, a court has been told.
Sailor has been released on bail this morning after allegedly obstructing traffic by standing in the middle of a busy road in Wollongong and then allegedly violently resisting officers attempting to arrest him.
Police will allege the former Wallabies player was found in the middle of the road appearing to be “affected by alcohol or drugs or both”.
About 11pm on Friday police received multiple calls that Sailor was yelling and running in the middle of the road obstructing traffic near the intersection of Campbell St and Throsby Dr in Wollongong.
Police attended and allegedly found him in the middle of the road.
He was arrested and taken to Wollongong Police Station where he was charged with breach of bail, obstructing traffic and resisting arrest.
Police will allege that once informed he was under arrest for breaching his bail, he violently resisted officers.
At this stage multiple police were in attendance where he was placed in the rear of a caged vehicle and taken to Wollongong Police Station.
Upon arrival at the station, Sailor is accused of again violently resisting police officers attempting to walk him to the charge room.
Review of CCTV footage at the Illawarra Master Builders Club shows Sailor consuming a large number of alcoholic beverages prior to this incident.
Mr Sailor was charged with breach of bail, obstructing traffic and resisting arrest.
He spent the night in custody following his arrest, dialling in to Bail Court from Wollongong Police Station in a Chicago Bulls T-shirt on Saturday morning.
“How’re you going?” he asked the magistrate.
He accepted he had breached his bail condition which prevented him from being intoxicated in public, a Legal Aid lawyer representing him told the court.
Mr Sailor’s breach was a result of “difficulties” in his personal life, including the break down of his 28-year marriage, the lawyer told the court.
“Mr Sailor is an Australian former professional rugby footballer who’s had quite a career. Your Honour, he is currently going through a divorce.
“(He) is going through quite a rough time in his life and he accepts that he was in the wrong by being intoxicated in a public place.
“But Mr Sailor again does instruct me, Your Honour, that it was all due to the current difficulties in his life.
“He is just going through a rough patch in life.”
She pushed for Mr Sailor to be released on bail under the same conditions he was subject to prior to his arrest.
However the police prosecutor argued the bail application should be refused over allegations Mr Sailor engaged in “alcohol fuelled violence”.
“In relation to the fresh allegations I concede from the outset that full time imprisonment certainly isn’t on the cards, but in circumstances Your Honour where there are allegations of violence — alcohol fuelled violence — and a course of conduct in public against members of the community,” he said.
“Conditional bail has been put in place with the view of mitigating that risk of further offending, (but) it’s not being complied with.”
Mr Sailor was seen shaking his head several times as the prosecutor spoke, and again when a condition preventing the sporting legend from drinking alcohol entirely was suggested.
He instructed his Legal Aid lawyer to decline the proposed condition as it could “set him up for failure”.
“Mr Sailor’s instructions currently is he is trying to get help — putting in a no drugs and alcohol condition at this stage would be putting in a condition to set him up for failure,” his lawyer said.
Mr Sailor was ultimately released on bail under the same conditions he was subject to prior to the breach.
“If you don’t comply … you may not be quite so fortunate on the next occasion Mr Sailor,” the magistrate said.
“Sorry yes, thank you,” Mr Sailor replied.
The magistrate added difficulties in Mr Sailor’s personal life were “not an excuse to be breaching your bail”.
“If you breach your bail conditions you will end up back in custody, that’s just simply what happens,” the magistrate said.
“The responsibility is on you to comply with your bail conditions, no one else.
“The police were just doing their job … It’s a hard job, and it’s made even harder when people don’t comply.”
Mr Sailor nodded along as the magistrate spoke.
He will appear before the courts again later this month.
Sailor on bail
Sailor had already been on bail relating to his next court appearance at the Downing Centre Local Court on February 18.
Part of his condition is that he must not be intoxicated in a public place and reside in Sydney.
The former Brisbane Broncos and Wallabies winger entered not guilty pleas to a string of charges in the Downing Centre Local Court in January.
It’s been alleged Sailor remained in the vicinity of a Sydney CBD bar on November 6 last year after being asked to leave.
The 50-year-old was charged with two counts of common assault, behaving in an offensive manner, excluded person remaining in vicinity of licensed premises and stalk/intimidate.
His solicitor Joseph Giang told the court that 21 witnesses were set to give evidence in a hearing expected to span three days next February.
Of those witnesses, six are civilians, 12 are police witnesses and three are defence witnesses, the court was told.
CCTV footage and body-worn police footage from the night is also expected to be played to the court.
Magistrate Hugh Donnelly commented on how long the matter had been dragged through the court.
Known for his explosive power as a winger, Sailor represented the Broncos and Dragons during his 222-game NRL career,
He tallied 17 games for Queensland, 22 matches for the Kangaroos and 189 games for the Brisbane Broncos.
No stranger to controversy, he then crossed codes, playing 37 Tests for the Wallabies, before a drug ban for testing positive to cocaine ended his time in rugby union.
After a two-year ban, Sailor returned to rugby league, ending his career with the Dragons.
Having forged a career in the media, Sailor announced his retirement from Triple M “effective immediately” in July, 2024.
He had been a popular commentator and broadcaster on the Sydney drive show The Rush Hour with Gus, Jude & Wendell, alongside Gus Worland and Swans legend Jude Bolton.
Sailor had been a key member of the network’s commentary team since 2015.
