- Former Bulldogs, Penrith and Melbourne are starring in the NT
- It is believed he was involved in a high-speed chase with police
- Was arrested on rural property allegedly surrounded by guns
Former NRL star Joel Romelo has appeared in court on charges related to allegedly leading Northern Territory police on a dangerous chase before taking refuge in a rural home surrounded by guns.
Romelo, who played 28 NRL games for Penrith, Melbourne and Canterbury between 2009 and 2014, appeared in the Darwin Local Court facing a series of charges related to driving, firearms and assault following a three-hour standoff in Humpty Doo.
According to police, they received a tip about Romelo’s whereabouts on Wednesday afternoon, which led them to a home on Woodlands Rd.
Authorities then closed the quiet rural street from 3.30pm to 6.30pm, deploying property crime detectives from Task Force Trident, police negotiators and the Territory Response Group.
After the tense three-hour standoff, Romelo and another person, 24-year-old Josiah Binsaris, were arrested without further incident. Both also faced unrelated historical charges.
Romelo played most of his NRL career with the Bulldogs before returning to the Northern Territory
After his arrest, he was charged with a series of alleged driving, firearms and assault charges
Romelo has not applied for bail and will remain in custody in Darwin until he appears in court on September 29
Romelo was initially targeted by the police operation as he was wanted for an alleged chase in a stolen vehicle.
The 34-year-old was charged with charges including dangerous driving without a licence, driving a vehicle without consent, involvement in a pursuit, failing to obey a police direction, missing number plates and having misleading number plates.
In addition, Romelo was charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition without a valid firearms permit and failure to comply with storage requirements.
He was also charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment causing serious harm, possession of stolen property and property damage in the incident.
During his brief appearance before Judge Thomasin Opie, Romelo remained silent behind the court’s security screen.
He has not applied for bail and will remain in custody until his next court appearance on September 29.
When Romelo heard that he had been in custody for two weeks, he waved to a young woman in the stands who was present for support.