Ex-England star Sam Burgess ‘arrested after allegedly testing positive for cocaine in BMW near estranged wife’s home’
FORMER England rugby star Sam Burgess has reportedly been arrested after allegedly testing positive for cocaine while driving.
The 32-year-old was understood to be driving his BMW X5 on Monday afternoon to collect his young children Poppy, four, and Billy, two.
The youngsters live with Burgess’ ex-wife Phoebe and he was ten minutes away from her house when he was pulled over at 1.30pm on the Hume Highway near Braemar, New South Wales – approximately 100km south of Sydney.
According to ABC, police will allege Burgess returned a positive roadside drug test for cocaine and that he has never held a New South Wales driver’s licence.
A second oral fluid test sample has been sent off for further investigation.
The report adds Burgess was also charged with driving an unregistered vehicle.
He is set to appear before court in Moss Vale Local court on May 4.
The former rugby league and rugby union international will face charges of ‘drive vehicle, resident more than three months – not obtain a licence’ and ‘use unregistered vehicle’, NSW Police said.
Burgess’ alleged charges come just three weeks after he was found guilty of intimidation against his ex-wife’s 64-year-old father.
The Yorkshireman received a two-year community corrections order over the angry altercation with Mitchell Hooke in October 2019 at the Sydney home of his then-relative.
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Burgess, who retired in 2019 due to a chronic shoulder problem, did admit he was involved in a confrontation with Hooke and that he called him a ‘piece of s***’ – although he insisted his former father-in-law was the aggressor and had threatened to ‘ruin’ his career.
The former Bradford Bulls and South Sydney Rabbitohs forward claimed he was baffled by the court’s decision and planned to appeal.
He told reporters: “I’m confused with the decision, I will appeal the decision and I won’t say anything further.”