Port “gave Impey legal advice” before he handed himself in to police

The Port Adelaide Football Club says it is “comfortable” with its handling of the fallout from Jarman Impey’s alleged hit-run car-crash carnage on the weekend, but concedes it gave the player legal advice before he handed himself in to police more than 16 hours after the incident.

Tom Richardson

Dec 05, 2016, updated Dec 05, 2016

Jarman Impey walked 17km home before contacting his club, who then waited until morning to take him to police. Photo: Michael Errey / InDaily

Impey has been reported for driving without due care, failing to exchange particulars and failing to report a collision, after he allegedly hit four cars following an alcohol-fuelled party at the Norwood home of teammate Angus Monfries.

Police were on the scene around 7.30pm on Saturday – shortly after the incident took place – however Impey was not located by club officials until well after midnight, having walked home to Grange, some 17km away.

But it was not until several hours later that he reported to police for questioning.

Power CEO Keith Thomas told media yesterday: “We were talking to Jarman well after midnight and the decision was made to front up [to police] in the morning.”

In response to further questions, Thomas told InDaily in a statement today: “As a club, we are comfortable with the process we undertook on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.”

“We ascertained that no one was injured and that Jarman was safe and well.

“We then provided him with legal advice.”

Thomas said he had been “transparent and provided media with a thorough briefing of the sequence of events that took place”.

“The matter is now a subject of investigation for South Australian Police,” he said.

An SA Police spokesman told InDaily the first contact the club had with police was shortly before its social media account tweeted this update around 11am.

Jarman Impey is cooperating with police following involvement in a motor vehicle accident: Statement:https://t.co/Rbyo44w2xr

— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) December 4, 2016

Around half an hour later Impey presented at the Parks Police Station where he was questioned and reported.

Police have told InDaily a breathalyser reading must be obtained within two hours to gauge an accurate reading.

Port have confirmed Impey was drinking at an afternoon pool party before crashing his car into parked vehicles and fleeing the scene, with the 21-year-old conceding in a video statement: “I made some bad decisions.”

Impey had left the gathering at Monfries’ house and allegedly crashed his car into the former Essendon player’s parked Audi about 7pm Saturday.

“Given the extent of the damage of the car that he hit, it looked reckless, it was a fair impact,” Thomas told reporters yesterday.

“It looks like he has hit that one pretty firmly and bounced off into a couple of others.”

Impey left his phone and wallet at the scene.

His teammates didn’t tell police but went to club officials. Port didn’t report Impey to a police station until Sunday morning though the club later emphasised in a statement that police were on the scene by 7.35pm Saturday night.

He will appear in court at a later date.

“I have spoken to police and understand there will be repercussions to my actions,” Impey said in his brief video statement released by the club.

“I’m sorry for what happened … I can’t apologise enough.”

Thomas said Impey, a 55-gamer for the Power, had been drinking at Monfries’ house with other Port teammates until about 7pm.

“They were drinking during the afternoon, this happened around seven o’clock so to what extent alcohol was involved at that time, I’m not sure,” Thomas said.

“It feels to me like he was really just panicked by the situation he was in … unfortunately under pressure, Jarman didn’t respond quite the right way.”