Wayne Carey Throws Away Career

One of AFL footy's greatest ever players, Wayne Carey, has imploded in a stupefyingly spectacular outburst of anger, misogyny and violence. It seems his entire post-football career is finished, with his employers falling over themselves in a rush to ditch him. Facing police assault charges in Miami and with the prospect of more in Australia, earlier questions about his behaviour towards his girlfriend, model Kate Neilson, have been raised again.

Disturbance in Port Melbourne

The current controversy kicked off when Wayne Carey, a regular topic of interest here on The Speccy, (allegedly) called police to his exclusive Port Melbourne apartment. Apparently, he wanted them to remove his girlfriend, the "grid girl" and "glamour model" Kate Neilson, and her friend Sabella Sugar:


Kate Neilson, working to promote bogan-sports.
Source: Herald-Sun.

When police arrived, it's alleged that Carey became out of control:

Senior Constable Wayne Wilson said police were allegedly assaulted at the apartment front door.

"Police arrived and then at the front door the fellow from the address allegedly assaulted police officers," Sen Const Wilson said.

"They struggled with him, sprayed him. He was arrested and taken to the St Kilda police station where he was spoken to and interviewed, and a brief of evidence will be prepared in relation to assault police. (Perth Now, 28/1/2008)

So Carey was "maced" (or, more correctly, sprayed with capsicum spray) by police in an effort to control him. At this point, standard procedure requires paramedics to be called. We can see the effects of this thanks to the CCTV footage from the security cameras in the lift and lobby:



This security footage - apparently purchased by our old friends Channel 7 - has sparked its own mini-scandal:

The Seven Network tonight aired what it described as exclusive security footage from Carey's apartment building.

The footage showed Carey, dressed in a blue t-shirt and jeans, being led into a lift and then out of the foyer by two police officers.

Carey appeared red-faced and, in one portion of the footage, was having water poured over his face. [see above]

But the Nine Network said police were investigating how the footage was obtained.

A security guard offered Nine the same footage for $20,000 but the network did not buy it because it was feared the images were stolen, Nine reporter Tony Jones said tonight.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police denied such an investigation had been launched. (The Age, 28/1/2008)

(Heh. Still, not as damaging to the league as naming [that club] in The Great Medical Records Shitstorm of 2007.)

Carey was maced, cuffed and taken into custody and the scandal broke around midnight on Sunday night. By Monday, his radio gig at 3AW was under threat, with broadcaster Neil Mitchell publicly decrying Carey. By Tuesday, the axe had fallen and Wayne Carey was not to have his contract renewed. (Predictably, 3AW claimed this was a decision they'd already taken and had nothing to do with his actions over the weekend.)

Miami Incident Goes Public

Kate Neilson, in trouble in paradise.
Source: Herald-Sun

Later on Tuesday, Australia was rocked to hear that in October 2007, Wayne Carey had been charged by US police in Miami under suspiciously similar circumstances: a domestic disturbance followed by assault against police:

In the report, arresting officer Daniel Rodriguez said Kate Neilson told police when they arrived that her boyfriend of two years had smashed a wine glass on her mouth, causing lacerations to her mouth and neck.

Police went upstairs to the couple's hotel room and knocked several times on the door, but Carey didn't answer.

When hotel security opened the door, Carey was asleep on the bed and did not wake until police tapped him on the shoulder, the incident report stated.

"At this point he became aggressive, jumped out of bed and became confrontational towards these officers," Officer Rodriguez said.

After a scuffle Carey fell back on the bed and kicked Officer Rodriguez in the mouth.

When police attempted to restrain Carey, he elbowed a second officer in the face.

Carey was turned on his stomach and put into handcuffs, but as he was hauled away continued to push the second officer, using his shoulders and side.

When he was put inside the patrol vehicle, he bashed his head against the plexiglass of the divider separating him from the officers. (The Age, 30/1/2008)

Carey's Miami Mugshot
Source: The Age

Carey was so out-of-control he had to be "hobbled" with special leg restraints for "combative, violent, high-risk people". He is due in court in Miami on February 15th and faces up to 15 years in jail for his alleged criminal behaviour. As a result of this latest scandal, Channel 9 dumped him from his on-air roles with the (loathsome) AFL Footy Show and Footy Confidential. I doubt anyone will miss his tactless and cruel remarks about the problems of others.

More Details of Party Emerge

Adding to the furore, new stories have surfaced about underworld links and drugs at the party at Carey's Rouse St apartment in the hours leading up to his arrest:

Traces of cocaine were also allegedly found in Carey's apartment, sources said.

Today Tonight reported last night that Stingers actor Kate Kendall and her husband, former Carlton football great Wayne "The Dominator" Johnston, were invited guests at a party Carey hosted on Sunday.

Kendall's manager said they had left the party long before police were called.

A source close to police repeated details of the party to The Age. The source said a high-profile horse trainer and a former VFL footballer who is a known associate of murdered drug dealer Jason Moran, were also present. (The Age, 30/1/2008)

Party Girls, Sabella and Kate
Source: Daily Telegraph

At this point, we should remind readers that Wayne Carey was also an associate of (now slain) drug dealer and hitman Jason Moran, Mark's half-brother. Carey gave character testimony for Moran in 2000.

Back in March, 2007, we covered an Age investigation detailing a major drug operation against a well-known former AFL player with a huge media profile for his cocaine use. At the time, Carey refused to rule himself out:

FOOTBALL great Wayne Carey refuses to say whether he has dabbled with cocaine, and insists he knows nothing about the alleged habits of other sporting greats.

As the game's big names went to ground yesterday, Carey told the Herald Sun he was unaware of claims a former star player was under police pressure to snitch on a cocaine dealer.

But the controversial ex-Roo and Crow would not say if he had dabbled with the drug himself.

"No, I'm here with my daughter," Carey said.

"I'm saying no, I don't want to comment." (Herald-Sun, 26/3/2008)

It's also not the first time Carey has been accused of domestic violence. As we reported just over a year ago, allegations were levelled against him for attacking Kate Neilson in December, 2007:

WAYNE Carey's girlfriend has told police she was assaulted by the former football champion.

It has been alleged a frightened Kate Neilson went to police after an incident at a Port Melbourne penthouse apartment.

The Herald Sun believes the model told police she was scared to leave the two-time Kangaroos premiership player.

Carey and Ms Neilson have denied the incident, but police sources claim she called 000 after being struck last Thursday, but was so distraught operators couldn't understand her complaint.

It was handed over to police and she went to South Melbourne police station to speak to officers there about 1.30am.

Police have told the Herald Sun that Ms Neilson had minor injuries when she arrived at the station, and she claimed Carey had punched her. (Herald-Sun, 28/12/2006)

Kate Nielson and Wayne Carey in Happier Days
Source: Adelaide Now


The public long suspected Wayne Carey was a bad man, stemming from incidents going back years. We were just prepared to overlook the facts on account of his star footy status. A philander, a misogynist, as well as aggressive and violent with extensive underworld connections. A man who indecently attacked a 19 year-old woman out the front of a nightclub. A man who cheated on his wife with his team-mate, and then abandoned her a second time just weeks after she gave birth.

Now, it seems that without his prodigious football talent to hide behind, he is being hung out to dry and getting exactly what he deserves. (Even his entry into the AFL Hall of Fame - formerly a slam-dunk - is now under a cloud.) The great shame is that people didn't see him for the pathetic, angry man that he is earlier. The Australian footy-loving public was blinded to his monstrous flaws and the blind adulation only fuelled his ego and sense of imperviousness.

Consider the remarks of the Miami police, public officials immune to the star power of an Aussie Rules player who can see him for what he is:

Miami Police Lieutenant Bill Schwartz said Carey was a "mess'' and should have left his aggression on the football field. Instead he used "his famous foot" to kick an officers in the mouth.

"It looks as though that he used his wine glass to try to knock out his girlfriend, his foot and elbow to try to knock out some cops and his head to try to knock out a police car," Lt Schwartz said.

He said the officers did not know who Carey was then.

"To us, he was just another thug."

...


"The young woman had lacerations to her mouth and her neck, apparently she had been hit in the face with a wine glass,'' Lt Schwartz told the Nine Network.

"She told us Mr Carey had done this.

...

"Mr Carey became belligerent when we approached him - in fact, he ended up kicking one of our officers in the mouth with his famous foot," Lt Schwartz said.

"He struck another officer in the side of the head with his elbow and he had to be subdued.

"Then once he was handcuffed and in the police car, he took his head and tried to bash a hole in the partition between the prisoner's side and the officer's.

"Clearly Mr Carey has anger management issues and he seemed to be upset with the entire world that particular morning. (Herald-Sun, 30/1/2008)

There you have it. Just another thug upset at the entire world. If only the rest of us had seen Wayne Carey so clearly ten years ago, if only we weren't so quick to make excuses and overlook his behaviour, maybe all this pain, heartache and disappointment could have been avoided.

*** UPDATE ***
With violent, drug-addled thug Wayne Carey back in the headlines, it's worth a quick post rounding up the key points, breaking news and other sordid details from his life with paramour Kate Neilson. Click through for the latest word.

Citations: Perth Now, 28/1/2008; The Age, 28/1/2008; The Age, 30/1/2008; The Age, 30/1/2008; Herald-Sun, 26/3/2008; Herald-Sun, 28/12/2006; Herald-Sun, 30/1/2008

Word Count: 1861

Tags: footy, scandals, court, media, bashing