After being discovered to have cocaine on him, the former “face of rugby league,” Brett Stewart, left court with a pledge to act properly.
When police searched the ex-Manly Sea Eagles fullback, 38, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in March, they found 0.61 grams of the narcotic.
In Manly Local Court on Wednesday, Stewart entered a guilty plea to one count of possessing a prohibited drug, saying that the amount was “likely to be less than 0.5 grams” considering the bag.
Observing that Stewart had previously only been found guilty of a driving offense, judge added, “This is not a case of a continuing attitude of disobedience.”
The two-time premiership winner played for both NSW and Australia on the international stage. Before retiring in 2017, he participated in 233 games for Manly between 2003 and 2016.
At his best, he was a well-known player in the league.
According to his attorney, “Mr. Stewart was the face of rugby league in 2009.”
Magistrate Robert Williams said, “I’m aware of that.
There was no conviction noted.
Williams was given the option of dropping the case, but he instead issued Stewart a conditional release order that effectively put him on a good behavior bond and required him to refrain from committing any more offenses for a period of nine months.
He accepted the evidence presented by a doctor and attorneys.
Without a doubt, people in the community praise you, the magistrate said.
But Stewart’s actions were observed with alarm.
“The drug industry worries the local population. In general, the community suffers since even having a small amount of a drug makes you a part of the drug industry, according to Williams.
Stewart remained silent as he and his attorneys departed the court.
