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NRL star Brandon Smith faces court over charges of drugs, insider tips
Updated ,first published
South Sydney hooker Brandon Smith has fronted a Queensland court over allegations he supplied dangerous drugs and also disclosed inside information for illegal betting.
The 29-year-old did not comment to waiting media on Thursday morning as he appeared at the Southport Magistrates Court on the Gold Coast.
Smith was expected to fight the charges, with lawyer Adam Moschella, representing Smith, telling the court the matter was contested.
His alleged offending related to a golfing weekend with NRL players on the Sunshine Coast in June.
This week, this masthead revealed text messages involving Sydney Roosters star Victor Radley, that would be used in the prosecution case against Smith.
Smith is alleged to have supplied his former teammate with a contact for an alleged drug dealer while Radley was away on the weekend with six other Roosters players on the Sunshine Coast.
Radley is not accused of any wrongdoing.
The texts include messages from Radley to Smith referring to a “short 8-ball”, which is slang for an eighth of an ounce of powdered drugs – 3.5 grams.
At the time, Smith was not in Queensland jurisdiction, but police would allege he had full knowledge of the offences he procured to occur within Queensland, and therefore was liable.
Police will also allege Smith provided inside information about his return from injury to friends that led to bets that stood to pay out more than $20,000.
At Smith’s first court appearance for the case, Magistrate Deborah Mitchell granted the 29-year-old bail on usual conditions, and he was also ordered not to contact two people – Radley and accused drug dealer Joshua Geoffrey Peter Bainbridge.
Bainbridge is facing drug charges in relation to allegedly supplying Radley with cocaine on June 7.
Court documents for Bainbridge show he is also accused of receiving information about team changes for the Manly v South Sydney NRL game from Smith, and then made a bet in relation to first try-scorer and anytime try-scorer.
Smith’s matter was adjourned to October 9, with Smith not required to appear in court. Bainbridge’s matter will also be heard on the same date.
After the hearing, Smith rushed to a waiting car parked outside the court and did not make any comment to the large media scrum.
