NRL star avoids jail sentence after admitting drug-driving crash charge

Brisbane Broncos half-back Ezra Mam has avoided a jail sentence after pleading guilty to causing a road traffic accident with drugs in his system and has instead been fined $850 as well as seeing his driving licence disqualified for at least six months.

21-year-old Mam was driving his pickup truck when it collided with an Uber in west Brisbane on October 18. Two people in the Uber – a child and a woman – suffered minor injuries.

The Sydney native failed a roadside drug test and then failed a further drug test at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, later charged with driving with drugs – including cocaine – in his system.

He entered a rehabilitation facility for four weeks soon after the crash and as part of that rehabilitation, is currently undertaking a year’s worth of counselling.

Mam – who will turn 22 in January – pleaded guilty to the charges of ‘driving while relevant drug is present in blood’ and ‘driving without a licence’ in Brisbane Magistrates Court, but no conviction was recorded.

Reports Down Under suggest that the NRL and the Broncos themselves will impose significant sanctions on the player now that the court matter has concluded, though no statement has been made at the time of writing.

Following the court case, Mam spoke to media outside of the court, and issued a short apology.

He said: “Today is a very important step in learning from my actions and starting to make things right.