Two very different versions of events are emerging of what really happened when former AFL star Wayne Carey was booted from a Perth casino after dropping a bag of white powder and ‘bank notes’ on a gambling table.
Contradicting several claims made by Carey in the wake of the embarrassing incident, the boss of Crown Resorts told Perth radio on Thursday there was no evidence he told casino staff the white powder was legitimate medication to treat old football injuries.
Ciaran Carruthers, who has only been in the top job for three days, also said the footy star turned TV commentator was not honest about where he was staying that night, and later attempted to sneak back into his room.
The casino is set to hand over its CCTV footage of the incident to police as mystery surrounds what remains of the bag of powder at the centre of the scandal.
Carey is set to address his hometown of Wagga Wagga during a ‘nothing off limits’ discussion in front of hundreds of locals on Thursday night.
Wayne Carey (left) is set to address the people of Wagga Wagga at a ‘nothing off limits’ discussion tonight
Wayne Carey has offered a ‘nothing is off limits’ interview at a speaking event to be held on Thursday night in Wagga Wagga
Wayne Carey strolled alone along St Kilda Beach in Melbourne on Wednesday. He will be in Wagga Wagga on Thursday night where people expect to see that bag of white powder
Mr Carruthers told Perth radio 6PR on Thursday that highly trained staff had been keeping tabs on Carey leading up to the incident.
He said his staff had no authority to remove the bag of powder, which Carey promptly returned to his pocket.
‘When the packet fell to the table, the gaming staff noticed it straight away. Mr Carey regained it, placed it back in his pocket and left the table,’ he told host Liam Bartlett.
‘He kept it and beyond that I have no idea what’s happened to it. He removed it from the table, placed it back on his person and then moved on.’
Casino staff’s version of events greatly contradict that of Carey, who earlier this week told his employer, The Age, he had told staff the powder was legit medication.
‘It was not an illegal substance, it was offered to security. Security didn’t take it,’ Carey said.
‘They just said it’s not a great look, I understood that, and we left without incident.’
Mr Carruthers dismissed Carey’s story.
‘That’s in contradiction to statements we’ve received from our own staff and from witnesses who were there at the time,’ he said.
The casino boss also said Carey mislead staff about where he was staying that night and was caught sneaking back into his room,
‘He advised our team that he was not guest of the hotel and we subsequently found that that was not the case and he was staying in one of the hotel rooms,’ Mr Carruthers said.
‘Our team then approached him in his room and advised him that he needed to vacate. He cooperated. He asked for some time to collect his belongings, which we gave him, and removed himself from the property … he hadn’t told the truth up until that point according to the statements we have received.’
Wayne Carey and partner Jessica Paulke arrive at the Fashion Aid Twilight Beach Polo on February 16, 2018
Wayne’s Carey’s mugshot after the star faced a Miami court charged with battery of a police officer when he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in 2007
Like any casino across the planet, Crown is blanketed with CCTV cameras, capturing footage of which Mr Carruthers said would be handed over to Western Australia Police.
Mr Carruthers said Carey’s ‘suspicious’ behaviour was dealt with by staff as if he was any other ordinary punter.
‘They didn’t know it was Mr Carey. They just thought it was a customer who was buying in for chips at the time. They noticed the packet fall out along with the notes and they advised their gaming manager,’ he said.
‘Would I have liked for the police to have been called … absolutely. And I can tell you right now that that is now the process. I am in full alignment with the police commissioner,’ Mr Carruthers said.
While Crown staff who dealt with Carey last week followed the company’s policy, that policy has been swifty changed to ensure police are now called in the likely instance such an event would happen again.
‘Any activity that is deemed suspicious, any activity that is deemed inappropriate by officers, my team have the full obligation, full authority to remove people from the property,’ Mr Carruthers said.
‘It would have been much easier to deal with this if the police had of been called – in my 30-plus years in this industry my very high expectation is, I insist, that is if there’s an instance of suspicion of illegal activity we contact the authorities immediately.’
Wayne Carey (right) was a legend of the game when he played for North Melbourne. He disgraced himself and was forced to leave the club when he was caught in a toilet with a team mate’s wife
Wayne Carey is desperate to hang onto a media gig with Channel 7, where he continues to earn big coin
Wayne Carey tried to reinvent himself yet again when he appeared on Celebrity SAS Australia (pictured)
On Wednesday it was revealed Carey had employed the services of Josh Bornstein from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers to investigate a possible ‘disability discrimination claim’ against the gaming giant after he was booted.
It came after Channel 7 and radio Triple M both suspended Carey from his media gigs.
‘Mr Carey is prescribed anti-inflammatories and pain killing medicine to help manage the significant pain caused by debilitating football injuries – including a shoulder that needs replacing and a neck injury that requires three discs to be replaced,’ Mr Bornstein said.
‘We are considering whether Crown Casino unlawfully discriminated against Mr Carey by excluding him from its premises as a result of a pre-existing disability.’
Mr Carruthers said Carey made no suggestion he had been suffering from a disability at the time.
‘There was no discrimination … we could not have been aware even if it were true that there was an issue with health,’ he said.
Well placed sources have told Daily Mail Australia Carey went to lawyers before even asking Crown for an apology – one of which he has little chance of receiving.
Legal experts further claim Carey would need to provide solid proof of his supposed disability to have any chance of success should the matter, in the unlikely event, arrive at court.
‘If he wants to claim disability he needs to prove he has the disability, that he’s prescribed that medication for that and that it has to be taken in powdered form and then he would need a signed affidavit from a doctor stating all of that,’ the expert said.
Wayne Carey arrives in Perth on September 5.
Carey is expected to reveal what happened in Perth at The Good Blokes Society event, to be held at Wagga Wagga RSL, tonight, the Herald Sun reported.
The group’s founder, Shaun Wallis, said Carey would discuss what unfolded in Perth at the gathering, which is open to the public.
‘Wayne was invited to come as a guest and he jumped at it, there’s no doubt Wayne will address it (the incident),’ Mr Wallis told the publication.
‘I’ve personally had a couple of conversations with him and he’s working through the alleged incident.
‘We’re there to support Wayne as much as he needs support.’
Promotional material for the event states it will feature a ‘nothing-is-off-limits interview with an AFL great – Wayne Carey’.
Tickets to the event – selling for up to $250 each – have sold out and about 110 people will be in attendance.
Carey will reportedly depart Melbourne on Thursday to attend the function, which starts at 6.30pm.
‘If Wayne has any issues, any demons, the Good Blokes Society is the perfect community and the community events we host, we promote storytelling and conversation and to put your hand up if you’ve got issues or problems,’ Mr Wallis said.
‘We are a support group, so we offer whatever we need to offer, if that’s a handshake or a cuddle or an ear to listen.’
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