‘Going through a rough patch’: Ex-NRL star Wendell Sailor’s night in custody chalked up to divorce, a court was told

Former NRL star 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. The 51-year-old was found by police on Throsby Drive in Wollongong about 11pm Friday after reports a man was allegedly obstructing traffic. 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.