By Alex Mitchell
Rugby league stars Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton have pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from an alleged fight outside a Canberra nightclub.
The pair faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday, but won’t fight their charges until after the season with a three-day hearing slated for October 30.
NRL players Latrell Mitchell (left) and Jack Wighton depart ACT Magistrates Court in Canberra on Wednesday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Canberra five-eighth Wighton, 30, is facing charges of fighting in a public place and failing to comply with an exclusion direction, while South Sydney fullback Mitchell, 25, is charged with resisting a territory public official, fighting in a public place and failing to comply with an exclusion direction.
The two Australian World Cup stars were celebrating Wighton’s 30th birthday when the alleged incident occurred.
They arrived at court together and appeared relaxed, while they sat separately inside the courtroom.
Both will start the NRL season next week with the code’s integrity unit already indicating they would not rule on any punishment before their criminal matter wraps up.
They both had their bail varied to remove all conditions.
Mitchell’s lawyer Tom Taylor argued his client was “not likely to abscond” and the bail conditions police had imposed were “entirely unnecessary”.
Taylor commented briefly after the pair left court, saying Mitchell’s version of events would be defended.
“Latrell has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Because he’s pleaded not guilty it would be inappropriate to talk about the case in any great detail,” he told reporters.
“Every story has two sides and we’re going to defend Latrell’s.”
Taylor wouldn’t comment when asked if police had been heavy-handed when arresting the pair.
Ahead of the NRL All Stars game this month, Wighton reflected on what he’d learnt from the incident.
“It’s just putting yourself in vulnerable positions,” he said.
“If we weren’t on the town, it doesn’t happen. We’ve got to be smarter than that. I’ve got to be smarter,” he said.
“I am older than Latrell and should have probably taken responsibility earlier and not let us go to town.”
AAP
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