Sam Burgess makes 3am promise as judge issues five-word warning to footy legend during court hearing
- Sam Burgess has made a 3am promise
- He tuned in to his hearing from England
- Burgess was using his cell phone while driving
Former NRL superstar Sam Burgess has made an impassioned vow to stay on the straight and narrow and leave his mobile phone behind the wheel as allegations he drove with a suspended license were dismissed.
Burgess was beamed to Waverley Local Court from northern England, where he now coaches, on Thursday as the charges were dismissed.
When the South Sydney big man was stopped by police in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in the run-up to Christmas 2022, he had been serving a 10-month ban for his poor driving several months earlier.
He had initially tested positive on a roadside breath test, but subsequent tests showed he had no drugs in his system.
The dual international was also charged with driving with a suspended license when his black BMW was stopped near Kingsford on December 22, 2022.
Sam Burgess has vowed not to use his mobile phone while driving
The football legend tuned in to his hearing from Britain
However, Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge accepted on Thursday that he had a ‘reasonable’ belief that he was fit to drive.
She said she accepted that Mr Burgess had an honest and reasonable belief that he had a licence.
âThe case has been dismissed,â said Ms Milledge, much to the relief of Mr Burgess, who had stayed up past 3am tuning into the proceedings.
She said she was happy to see that he had tried to improve his poor driving record and begged him to maintain a clean record from now on.
âAnd turn off your mobile phone,â Ms Milledge said, referring to Mr Burgess’s records of using his mobile phone while driving.
“I can promise you that,” said Mr. Burgess.