Brisbane Broncos star Ezra Mam fined, licence suspended, after cocaine crash guilty plea
A Brisbane magistrate has branded Ezra Mam’s decision to drive after taking a ‘cocktail’ of drugs ‘stupid’, handing down a $850 fine for a crash that injured a four-year-old girl.
Brisbane Broncos star Ezra Mam has been fined and had his licence suspended, after a head-on crash that injured a four-year-old girl while he was on a “cocktail” of drugs including cocaine.
The 21-year-old was driving unlicensed and under the influence when his ute collided with an Uber at Bardon, in Brisbane’s inner western suburbs, at 5.20pm on Friday October 18.
The woman and four-year-old girl in the Uber suffered minor injuries.
When Queensland Police arrived on the scene of the crash, they conducted licence checks on both Mam and the other driver, leading them to discover Mam’s licence was demerit-point suspended.
Mam told police he knew his licence was suspended and that he was moving house.
He then failed a roadside drug test at the crash site before being transported to Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospital, where his blood was taken and he tested positive to cocaine.
Mam appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday morning, where he promised “to be a better person” moving forward.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mark Nolan branded the rugby player’s behaviour “stupid,” saying he has “got to learn from this,” The Courier-Mail reported.
“Having made that stupid decision to get behind the wheel of the car, as well as use illicit substances as well … a cocktail of cocaine and other matters that were found in your blood on this occasion,” Mr Nolan said.
“At so many levels you are fortunate to stand where you are today … you could have been injured or killed, or the other persons could have been injured or killed. There’s no place for illicit drugs in our community, and there’s certainly no place for a person who is using illicit drugs to get behind the wheel of a car.”
Mam’s defence lawyer Bettina Webb told the court Mam went to rehab at The Banyans Healthcare for four weeks after the crash and was undertaking 12 months of counselling.
Ms Webb also suggested Mam would suffer consequences outside the law in addition to his sentence because he is a public figure.
“Certainly it is the case that this court will impose a punishment, but his punishments go far greater and beyond this courtroom than it otherwise would for any other person,” she said.
Mam was fined $850 in total for both offences and his licence was disqualified for six months. No conviction was recorded, however, Mr Nolan warned Mam not to drive or face jail.
After his sentencing, Mam addressed the media outside the court, apologising profusely for his actions.
“Today is an important step in owning my actions and starting to make things right,” he said.
“To all the people involved in this accident, I’m truly sorry.”
Mam’s team, his fans, and the NRL at large also got an apology.
“This incident isn’t a reflection of who I want to be, or what’s expected of me as a role model. To the NRL, Brisbane Broncos, the fans and my family, I’m sorry,” Mam said.
“I promise to work on being a better person and representative of the club and the game that I love.”
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