Former NRL star Darrell “Tricky” Trindall told police he drove through the night from Sydney to Tamworth while smoking about $100 worth of ice, court documents have revealed.
Trindall, 54, has pleaded guilty to a single charge of driving a vehicle under the influence of drugs related to an incident on September 13 last year.
The former South Sydney Rabbitohs player was pulled over on the New England Highway about 15km north of Singleton when Highway Patrol officers noticed he was driving erratically in an emergency stop lane 30km/h under the speed limit with his hazard lights on, a statement of agreed facts tendered to the court state.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Darrell ‘Tricky’ Trindall has admitted to driving under the influence of drugs in September last year. Gregg Porteous, Rugby League A/CT. Credit: News Corp Australia
“His arm was hanging out of the open window, waving at passing cars. The vehicle was observed to be accelerating and braking in an erratic manner,” the facts stated.
Trindall had pinpoint pupils, sweaty skin, and was “highly erratic and easily distracted”, making “exaggerating gestures” like sticking his tongue out and fidgeting.
“His speech was fast, jumbled, and difficult to understand … He was unable to maintain a train of thought or engage in conversation without becoming distracted or confused,” the documents state.
The 54-year-old was taken to hospital for a drug test where he told officers he had driven with another person from Sydney to Tamworth overnight on September 11 to 12.
The former South Sydney Rabbitohs player drove under the influence of the drug ice last September. NewsWire / Christian Gilles Credit: News Corp AustraliaTrindall told police he had driven while smoking about $100 worth of the drug in the days prior. NewsWire / Christian Gilles Credit: News Corp Australia
“During that drive, he had smoked an unknown quantity of methamphetamine “ice” being about $100 worth,” the documents state.
He was driving back to Sydney when he was pulled over.
The drug test returned positive results for amphetamine and methylamphetamine, with a pharmacologist concluding he was under the influence of Ice such that his ability to drive would have been impaired.
The ex-Rabbitohs star’s lawyer, James Drewett, had told the court his client used drugs “to get through the blues”, noting that he had lost his mother some years ago and has separated from his partner recently.
“In his words, he uses illicit substances ‘to get through the blues’. That’s not an excuse, Your Honour, but it is his coping mechanism,” Mr Drewett said.
Trindall (L) and his lawyer James Drewett (R) left the Downing Centre Local Court on Friday after the ex-NRL star was sentenced to a 12-month community order. NewsWire / Christian Gilles Credit: News Corp Australia
He described his client as a man who had a very successful sporting career who now plays an active role in his community by mentoring Aboriginal children in the Maroubra area.
Mr Drewett urged the court to deal with the matter by way of a Community Corrections Order (CCO), with Judge Theo Tsavdaridis ultimately agreeing and handing down a 12-month CCO as well as a $750 fine at the Downing Centre Local Court on Friday.
Trindall was convicted over the offence and his licence has also been suspended for 12 months, with the 54-year-old also required to be supervised by a community corrections officer as per the conditions of his CCO.
Judge Tsavdaridis said Trindall was lucky no one was injured during the ordeal.
