A leading criminal lawyer has warned that Broncos star Ezra Mam could face a prison sentence of up to 14 years after allegedly failing a roadside drug test after being involved in a head-on car crash.
Mum was involved in the alleged incident in the northern 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 when the Ford Ranger he was driving reportedly collided with an Uber car driven by a mother whose daughter was a passenger.
No one was seriously injured in the incident.
Queensland Police conducted roadside drug and alcohol testing, with Mam reportedly failing the drug test but returning a negative result for alcohol.
Police and the NRL Integrity Unit are now investigating the incident and are awaiting the results of a secondary drug test, which could take weeks to return.
Lawyer Tom Taylor, regarded as one of the most successful criminal lawyers in Canberra, has highlighted how serious the situation is for the troubled Brisbane player.
“The precise nature of the allegations will really depend on the evidence gathered as part of this investigation,” he told Nine’s Today show on Monday.
A top lawyer says Broncos star Ezra Mam could be sentenced to up to 14 years behind bars in a worst-case scenario after being involved in a car crash last Friday
Mom was reportedly behind the wheel of a ute that crashed into an Uber in the Brisbane suburb of Bardon on Friday (Mum is pictured on the ground moments after the collision)
‘There is already some public information about it at this stage, but there is still some way to go.
“The types of charges and the consequences that will result will really depend on the evidence collected.”
Police have alleged that Mom was also driving without a license at the time of the accident.
However, Taylor says that’s the least of Mom’s worries.
“The two biggest charges are actually the drug-related charges [allegedly] in his system – if the blood sample taken at the hospital confirms the presence of a drug in his system,” Taylor said.
‘If there are any injuries [by the occupants of the other car] then the accusations about driving and the [alleged] driving under the influence of drugs are the things he has to worry about the most.
‘Possibly, if injuries are sustained, this could result in up to fourteen years in prison.’
Taylor said the result of the second drug test should be known within a week or two.
Queensland Police and the NRL Integrity Unit are investigating the alleged incident involving the Broncos playmaker
Mom also faces the termination of his contract worth $4 million, depending on the outcome of the investigation
“Those tests will only detect four types of drugs: cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and methamphetamine, also known as ice,” he said.
‘But they can be unreliable, so the best test is the blood tests to confirm the presence of a drug, and also the amount of the drug, which will determine, based on an expert’s opinion, how adversely he would be affected if it medicine was nearby. his system.’
Brisbane Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy has not ruled out sacking the star playmaker but said the club will not make any decision on Mam’s $4 million contract until the facts are clear.
“It would be remiss of me to jump too far ahead here,” he said Monday.
‘We have not had an in-depth discussion internally. I think, first of all, we don’t have all the full facts. For us, we want to make sure we have all the information so we can make the right decision for us.
Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy has not ruled out ripping up Mom’s $4 million contract depending on the results of the police investigation
‘But from a club perspective we are certainly very disappointed to be in a position like this.
‘We are a community-based club that puts the community at the heart of what we do.
“It’s really disappointing that we’re having these kinds of discussions in the offseason instead of talking about building or preparing for next season. That point has certainly 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 on holiday in Bali with teammate Reece Walsh.
The Broncos duo were reportedly asked for a selfie at a nightclub in Bali and the fan’s phone broke during the interaction. Mom and Walsh replaced the broken phone with a new one.
Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Donaghy said the twin scandals should be a wake-up call for the young players in the Broncos squad.
‘Ezra is a young man, he is 21 years old. They do [make mistakes] but unfortunately in this industry you have to grow up quickly,” he said.
‘It’s the price of admission, it’s a very privileged role. So it will be a process that we have to follow and we will do that. I – like all of us at the club – am big on personal responsibility and accountability.
“I’ve seen comments before about a line in the sand moment, I think it’s a coming of age moment for this group.”