A top criminal defence lawyer has warned that Broncos star Ezra Mam could be looking at up to 14 years in prison after he allegedly failed a roadside drug test after being involved in a head-on car crash.
Mam was involved in the alleged incident in the inner-north Brisbane suburb of Bardon just hours before the Australian Kangaroos took on Tonga in the Pacific Championships last Friday.
The 21-year-old was reportedly moving house when the Ford Ranger he was driving allegedly collided with an Uber car driven by a mother whose daughter was a passenger.
Nobody was seriously hurt in the incident.
Queensland Police carried out roadside drug and alcohol testing, with Mam allegedly failing the drug test but returning a negative result for alcohol.
Police and the NRL’s Integrity Unit are now investigating the incident and are waiting for the results of a secondary drugs test, which could take weeks to come back.
Lawyer Tom Taylor, who is regarded as one of the most successful criminal defence solicitors in Canberra, has emphasised just how serious the situation is for the troubled Brisbane player.
‘The precise nature of the charges will really depend on the evidence that’s gathered as part of this investigation,’ he told Nine’s Today show on Monday.
A top lawyer says Broncos star Ezra Mam could potentially face up to 14 years behind bars in a worst-case scenario after he was involved in a car crash last Friday
Mam was allegedly behind the wheel of a ute that crashed into an Uber in the Brisbane suburb of Bardon in Brisbane on Friday (Mam is pictured on the ground just after the collision)
‘There’s a bit of public information that’s known about it at this stage but there’s still a way to go.
‘Types of charges and the consequences that will flow from those charges will really depend on the evidence that’s gathered.’
Police have alleged that Mam was also driving unlicensed at the time of the accident.
However, Taylor says that is the least of Mam’s worries.
‘The two bigger charges really are the charges that relate to the drug [allegedly] in his system — if it is that the blood sample that was taken at the hospital confirms the presence of a drug in his system,’ Taylor said.
‘If there were injuries suffered [by the occupants of the other car] then the charges about the driving and the [alleged] drug driving are the ones he’s got the most to worry about.
‘Potentially, if injuries were sustained, it could be up to 14 years imprisonment.’
Taylor said the result of the second drug test should be known in a week or two.
Queensland Police and the NRL Integrity Unit are investigating the alleged incident involving the star Broncos playmaker
Mam also faces having his $4million contract terminated depending on the outcome of the investigation
‘Those tests will only indicate four types of drugs: cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and methamphetamine, otherwise known as ice,’ he said.
‘But they can be unreliable so the best test will be the blood tests to confirm the presence of a drug and also the quantity of the drug, which will determine through some expert opinion, how adversely affected he may have been if the drug was in his system.’
Brisbane Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy has not ruled out sacking the star playmaker, but said then club will not make any decision’s on Mam’s $4million contract until the facts are clear.
‘It would be remiss of me to jump too far ahead here,’ he said on Monday.
‘We haven’t had a discussion internally in depth. I think firstly, we don’t have all the full facts. For us, we want to ensure we’ve got all the information so we can make the right decision for us.
Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy hasn’t ruled out tearing up Mam’s $4million contract depending on the results of the police investigation
‘But certainly, from a club’s perspective, we’re very disappointed to find ourselves in a position like this.
‘We are a community-based club that puts the community at the centre of what we do.
‘For us to have these types of discussions in the off-season rather than talking about the build-up, I suppose, or the preparation leading into next season is really disappointing. Certainly that point has been made.’
It is the second off-field incident involving the Broncos playmaker this year, after he was involved in an altercation with a fan while holidaying in Bali with teammate Reece Walsh.
The Broncos duo were reportedly asked for a selfie in a Bali nightclub and the fan’s phone was broken during the interaction. Mam and Walsh replaced the broken phone with a new one.
Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Donaghy said the dual scandals had to be a wake-up call for the young players in the Broncos squad.
‘Ezra is a young man, he is a 21 year old. They do [make mistakes] but unfortunately in this industry you need to grow up quickly,’ he said.
‘It is the price of entry, it is a very privileged role. So it will be a process to follow which we will do, I am big – as we all are at the club – on personal responsibility and accountability.
‘I’ve seen commentary previously about a line in the sand moment, I think for this group it is a grow-up moment.’