A rugby league legend has admitted to breaking into a heavily secured sniffer dog headquarters to escape the cold after attending a State of Origin party.
Ben Kennedy, who won a premiership with the Newcastle Knights, broke into the Australian Border Force’s detector dog base near Sydney Airport on June 3.
The 44-year-old was wearing shorts and thongs in chilly 13C temperatures, and smashed the window of a government-owned ute in a bid to escape the cold.
NRL legend Ben Kennedy (pictured) has been charged for illegally entering the Australian Border Force’s Detector Dog base and smashing a car window
The Sunday Telegraph reported that when Kennedy faces court on Monday, he will say that alcohol reacted with his back medication, leaving him in a disoriented state.
The NRL premiership winner appeared as a special guest at a State of Origin function earlier in the evening.
Following a ‘couple of schooners’ at the venue, he left the function and made his way towards the secured facility.
It is still unknown how Kennedy found his way inside the ABF base on McPherson St, as security is in place as well as 2.5 metre-high spiked fences.
Court documents say that Kennedy was found by officers who told police he was cooperative when they found him.
The officers believed that the 44-year-old was trying to keep out of the cold, the documents said.
Kennedy’s lawyer, Paul McGirr, told The Sunday Telegraph that the former NRL player is currently suffering a debilitating back injury.
The 44-year-old was wearing shorts and thongs in cold 13C temperatures, and proceeded to smash the window of a Toyota Hi-Lux in a bid to escape the cold
He is suffering from a degenerative lumbar disc disease, that he takes heavy-duty medication for.
‘The heavy- duty medication he is prescribed and takes for the condition created an adverse reaction with the alcohol where he was not able to make reasonable decisions. I will be tendering a medical certificate in court on Monday to confirm this,’ Mr McGirr said.
The NRL legend pleaded guilty to the charges, which include unlawfully entering enclosed lands and damaging government property.