AFL star Lachie Hunter banned from four matches and fined $5,000
AFL Lachie Hunter has been banned from four matches and hit with a $5,000 fine over a drink driving incident after a reported row with his fiancee.
The 25-year-old, who crashed into four parked cars in Middle Park in Melbourne on Thursday night, has also stepped down from his position as Western Bulldogs vice captain.
Following an investigation by the Bulldogs and the league’s integrity department, Hunter was banned for four matches and fined $5,000.
The star player will still be allowed to train with his teammates and the four match ban will begin when the season resumes.
Lachie Hunter (left) reportedly arguing with his childhood sweetheart Maddie Sullivan-Thorpe (right) hours before the accident in Middle Park in Melbourne on Thursday night
Hunter has also stepped down from his position as vice captain for the Western Bulldogs
A general view is seen at a Middle Park location where Western Bulldogs vice captain Lachie Hunter was involved in a drink-driving crash in Middle Park
His licence has been suspended for 12 months and he was also hit with a $1,652 fine for flouting Victoria’s coronavirus social distancing rules.
Further to his fines, Hunter was slapped with other suspended fines to the total of $15,000.
Hunter, who was two times over the legal limit, will also fork out the damage bill for all four cars he rammed.
He will be forced to undertake mandatory alcohol education and counselling and a form of community service, The Age reported.
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Hunter has since issued an apology on the Western Bulldogs website expressing his remorse over the incident.
‘I’d like to express my deepest apologies and regret for my actions last Thursday night,’ he said in the video.
‘I take full responsibility for what I did and the damages that I caused.
‘It’s never responsible to get behind the wheel after you’ve had a drink. Drink-driving is clearly not acceptable.
‘I’ve let down a lot of people here: my fiance, my family, the leadership group and the club, my teammates, Billy and Bailey for dragging them into a situation that they should have never been in.’
Pictured: Acsm Exams practice An abandoned SUV at the scene of the accident in Middle Park on Friday
Hunter stepped down from his position as vice-captain to ensure there was no issue for the team in the future
He said he stepped down as vice captain to ensure there was no issue for his club in the future.
‘After the incident, clearly I had a bit of time to reflect and decided that it was best that I step down from the vice-captain role for this year and the leadership group,’ he said.
‘It clearly just wasn’t fair on my teammates and would have put them in uncomfortable positions going forward.
‘I’ve obviously lost the respect of a lot of people over this time and there’s not a lot I can do about that right now. I can’t control what I did, but I can control what I do from here.’
Pictured: Western Bulldogs vice-captain Lachie Hunter and his fiance Maddie Sullivan-Thorpe
Friends told The Herald Sun the 25-year-old ‘calmly’ approached the residents of the damaged vehicles to exchange phone numbers and offer his licence details
Hunter was reportedly arguing with his childhood sweetheart Maddie Sullivan-Thorpe hours before the accident in Middle Park in Melbourne on Thursday night.
He had been drinking during the argument, left home and crashed into four parked cars.
Hunter was not at the scene when police arrived but was later found at teammate Billy Gowers’ home in South Yarra, where he was given a preliminary breath test.
A subsequent breath test found Hunter was more than two times the legal limit, with a reading of 0.123.
At about 7pm on Thursday, Hunter posted an Instagram story of a Zoom video conference call with friends.
Hunter then broke Victoria’s social distancing rules imposed to control the COVID-19 outbreak by driving to Gowers’ house. It was then he crashed into the four parked vehicles.
His SUV – which had official club gear and alcohol visible inside – was abandoned at the scene of the accident.
The Western Bulldogs vice-captain (left with his fiance) had his licence suspended for 12 months and was slapped with a $1,652 fine for flouting Victoria’s coronavirus social distancing rules
According to friends, Hunter was considering defending himself over the drink-driving accusations as there was no evidence to show he was drinking before the crash.
They told The Herald Sun the 25-year-old ‘calmly’ approached the residents of the damaged vehicles to exchange phone numbers and offer his licence details.
Hunter then reportedly bumped into teammate Bailey Smith. Friends said Smith had been visiting his girlfriend in the same street.
One of the damaged cars belonged to Smith’s girlfriend’s parents.
It was then Hunter – who believed the situation was taken care of according to friends – asked Smith to drive him to Gowers house.
Hunter then reportedly drank alcohol with Gowers.
But there are differing reports from witnesses at the scene who said ‘shocked’ Hunter only stayed on the street for about five minutes.
‘He was clearly in shock. He knew police were on the way,’ a neighbour said.
‘He was very pale. He must have panicked and then left.’
AFL star Lachie Hunter (left) is pictured with fiance Maddison Sullivan-Thorpe (right)
A Victoria Police statement said the 25-year-old is expected to be charged.
‘The man’s licence was immediately suspended for 12 months and it is expected will be charged on summons with drink driving and other traffic matters,’ police said.
‘Whilst committing the offences the man was found to be in breach of the directions issued by the Chief Health Officer, and he was issued a $1652 penalty notice.
‘The directions by the Chief Health Officer, under the State of Emergency declared in Victoria, have been enacted to help stop the spread of Coronavirus.’
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AFL 2020 | Western Bulldog Lachie Hunter gets his punishment