Advertisement

“He looked like a bit of a mess”: Cousins hospitalised after highway incident

Troubled former AFL star Ben Cousins has reportedly been hospitalised after police were called to an incident on Perth’s Canning Highway.

Jun 27, 2016, updated Jun 27, 2016
Former West Coast captain Ben Cousins leaving the Fremantle Justice Complex last year. Photo: Ross Swanborough, AAP.

Former West Coast captain Ben Cousins leaving the Fremantle Justice Complex last year. Photo: Ross Swanborough, AAP.

Seven News Perth reported that the former West Coast and Richmond player, who has a history of drug abuse, was in the middle of Canning Highway in Como directing traffic.

He was eventually chased by police into bush near the Kwinana Freeway before being taken by ambulance to Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Cousins was reportedly incoherent and a witness told reporters at the scene that he attempted to jump on the back of someone’s motorcycle, almost causing the driver to lose control.

“He was really lost, confused, making no sense at all, one witness said.

“Seven or eight cop cars turned up left, right and centre. They even had the helicopter above us,” the witness told Seven News.

Another witness described more bizarre behaviour from Cousins in the lead up to his altercation with Western Australian police.

“He looked like a bit of a mess. His jeans were riding really low and he was running and sweating heaps,” the witness told Seven News.

The 2006 West Coast premiership player and 2005 Brownlow Medallist reportedly spent three hours with window washers just off the freeway before he decided to act as a traffic patrolman.

Cousins has a long history of drug and alcohol problems dating back to 2006 when he infamously fled a booze bus, also on the Canning highway, leaving his then girlfriend Samantha Druce in his car to face police.

This latest incident is one in a long line for the former AFL star, who in 2015 was charged with reckless driving and also assessed at a mental health facility in Perth after being caught behind secure fences at Perth’s Special Air Service Regiment.

Meanwhile, untried Fremantle forward Shane Yarran has been charged by WA Police over an incident on Saturday night.

Yarran, 27, was issued with a move on notice by police in Leederville but failed to comply and was later charged with disorderly behaviour in public and fail to obey an order given by police.

A club statement issued last night said Yarran had informed the club as soon as he was able and then met club officials on Sunday morning.

Yarran has struggled with injury since being selected by the Dockers with the 61st overall pick at last year’s draft.

He won the WAFL’s goalkicking award in 2015, just two years after being released from jail, after serving six years for burglary.

Yarran will receive counselling and a club-imposed sanction, with the the Dockers refusing to comment further while the issue is before the courts.

-AAP

Local News Matters
Advertisement
Copyright © 2024 InDaily.
All rights reserved.