AFL star Lachie Hunter told the Melbourne court he was not himself after crashing his car into four parked cars while drunk behind the wheel during the height of the COVID crisis. 19 in Melbourne.

The Western Bulldogs vice-captain pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court Wednesday for driving under the influence of reckless driving and leaving the scene without giving details.

26-year-old Hunter appeared in court via a video link from home and was represented by high-profile attorney Rob Stary.

Stary said his client claimed he wasn’t drunk while driving, but consumed up to five cans of “UDL” from a colleague before police reached him.

“Agrees … this is the relevant reading,” Stary said.

The court heard that Hunter had just ended an argument with his girlfriend Maddison Sullivan-Thorpe when he got behind the wheel that night.

“He was also consuming alcohol before the accident,” Stary said. “He took responsibility.”

The court heard that Hunter immediately informed the Western Bulldogs that he had driven his car more than twice as much as required by law.

The Bulldogs fined Hunter $ 5,000, banned him for four games, and asked him to seek advice on alcohol, which he followed.

Stary said Hunter voluntarily resigned from the club’s vice captain’s office and was ashamed, humiliated and ashamed.

He told the court that Hunter was not insured for vehicle damage caused by driving under the influence of the conviction, leaving him personally liable for the debt.

He has already paid $ 5,000 for a commercial vehicle and is negotiating with insurers to pay the rest.

“It won’t be insignificant amounts,” Stary said.

A police prosecutor told the court that Hunter initially refused to take the breath test, but changed his mind after he had the opportunity to make a call from his manager.

Hunter could have been immediately out of the way for two years for refusing the test.

Court records say a friend first tried to cover Hunter and refused to tell police where he is.

When he was caught at his partner’s home, police said the inmate continued to deny Hunter was inside.

When the officers finally entered, they found Hunter hiding on a next-door balcony around the corner.

When asked why he was driving under the influence, Hunter replied, “Um, is it important that I came here and drank? Do I have to say something about it? I don’t know what to say.”

Hunter claimed he drank cans of UDL at home, but tried the red wines before getting behind the wheel.

The footballer told police he believed he could drive.

“I didn’t think it would end,” he says.

Judge Michelle Hodgson

Judge Michelle Hodgson suspended Jäger’s license for 12 months and fined him $ 1,000 without conviction.

When asked why he left the scene of the accident, Hunter told police that “he didn’t have it himself.”

The court heard that Hunter was only 400 yards from his Middle Park home when his SUV collided with several parked cars on Wright Street on April 16.

The angry hunter passed his data to two vehicle owners, but left a third victim in the dark.

He apologized to one of the victims and said he would “fix everything immediately.”

This witness later told police that Hunter did not appear drunk.

Hunter was not present when police arrived, but was found just under two hours later with a teammate in South Yarra, where he claimed to have been drinking.

His SUV, in which the official club clothes and alcohol were seen, was dumped at the scene of the accident.

The court heard that former AFL Hall of Fame champion Chris Grant, who is the Bulldogs’ head of football, provided Hunter with a court reference.

In it, she said the club expects Hunter to need additional assistance during the 2021 season.

According to his friends at the time, Hunter initially considered defending himself against the drunk driving charges, as there was no evidence that he had been drinking prior to the accident.

At the time, the Herald Sun was told that Hunter had “quietly” contacted the residents of the damaged vehicles to exchange phone numbers and offer their license details.

Hunter allegedly met another teammate. Friends said the teammate went to visit his girlfriend on the same street.

At this point, Hunter, who believed that the situation had been resolved according to his friends, asked him to accompany him to the other house.

Hunter allegedly drank alcohol with a teammate.

However, there were several reports from local witnesses that a “surprised” hunter was only on the street for about five minutes.

“He was clearly in shock. I knew the police were on their way, ”said a neighbor.

“He was very pale. He must have panicked and then left.

Jaeger’s sister Lauren said she had nothing to say about the alleged incident when she visited him at his home around 10:30 a.m. the next day.

‘I have nothing to say. Lachie, everything will be fine, ”Ms. Hunter said.

Peter Gordon

Western Bulldog President Peter Gordon apparently referred to the pressures of the coronavirus crisis when commenting on the April incident.

“Soccer is very important in people’s lives and that is not the message we are trying to convey,” Gordon told SEN Breakfast.

“We will investigate the circumstances. When we know more, we will talk more.

“Lachie is a good guy and sadly reflects the fact that he has not faced the pressures that many of us are currently under, but that cannot be taken as an excuse. It is a behavior that we do not want to see.

In a statement, Western Bulldogs said it would continue to investigate the incident and make another comment after today’s hearing ends.

“The Western Bulldogs Football Club continues to investigate the incident with Lachie Hunter on Thursday night and the involvement of two of its other players,” the April statement read.

The incident was discussed today at the Bulldogs Council’s scheduled meeting and the club is taking the matter very seriously.

“The club will issue a statement once the investigation is complete and an appropriate response has been determined.”

Hunter, who became vice captain in December, signed a long-term contract with the Western Bulldogs in March of last year.