News Raiders Jack Wighton in nightclub incident - Update: Suspended Sentence and Fine.

[The DoggFather]

From what I have heard, the person said to him & don't want to fight & was king hit.

What a piece of shit...

 

[pillow]

Plead to assault occasioning bodily harm and public urination...first charge carries max of 5yrs...and there's apparently compelling CCTV...Jackie boiii is fucked.

 

[chisdog]

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/jack-wighton-stood-down-by-raiders

Canberra have ruled Jack Wighton out of playing Brisbane on Saturday night after the Raiders fullback pleaded guilty to assault charges.

Wighton boarded a flight from Canberra on Thursday after his appearance in court to join his Raiders teammates, where they are preparing for a crucial NRL clash at Suncorp Stadium.

However the club have confirmed he won't take the field.

"Canberra Raiders today stood down Jack Wighton from this week's match against the Broncos and will convene a board meeting next week to discuss his position," a Raiders statement said.

"The Raiders will consult the NRL and are mindful Jack was today referred to the Galambany Court next Wednesday.

"The Raiders board will consider the matter further in the light of the Galambany Court's decision next week."

The 25-year-old pleaded guilty on Thursday to two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, three of common assault and one of public urination during a night out in February.

The maximum penalty for assault occasioning actual bodily harm is a five-year jail sentence.

The Raiders have been working with the NRL Integrity Unit about Wighton's predicament.

His case was due in court on July 10 but Wighton's plea change means the hearing is no longer needed.

Wighton will face court for sentencing on July 4.

The case comes at the worst possible time for the Raiders, who are mounting an unlikely charge towards the finals on the back of star hooker Josh Hodgson's return from a knee injury.

In Hodgson's first game back before the representative bye, the Raiders smashed Wests Tigers 48-12 in their most complete performance of the season.

Canberra sit ninth on the ladder, two games behind the Broncos in eighth.

A loss at Suncorp will damage their finals chances as the Raiders will then be six points behind eighth-placed Brisbane, with a daunting run home that includes away games against Cronulla, Melbourne and Penrith.

Wighton's absence means star winger Nick Cotric will likely be shifted to fullback against the Broncos.

Cotric played well in the No.1 jersey when Wighton was out for the round five match against Canterbury due to the birth of his second child.

But the Raiders are already missing a star winger in Jordan Rapana, who is on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, meaning coach Ricky Stuart will need to make some crucial line-up decisions.

 

[chisdog]

Local media here in Canberra is reporting that the NRL stood him down, not the Raiders.

 

[Mr Invisible]

Confirmed by Raiders: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2018/06/28/statement-jack-wighton/

 

[Mr Invisible]

http://www.sportingnews.com/au/leag...-lengthy-ban-looms/1vhbfuiuc7gms1joeu4gq637tx

Raiders chief executive Don Furner admitted to News Limited the Green Machine and governing body were not in agreement over the decision.

News Limited journalist and Sporting News Australia contributor Brent Read added on Triple M’s The Rush Hour With MG on Thursday night: “So basically what’s happened is Canberra has a decision to make today (Thursday) and if they didn’t stand him down the NRL was going to come over the top and stand him down this weekend,”

“They (NRL officials) watched CCTV footage of the incident today and basically after watching that they felt they had no choice and he had to be stood down this weekend. Now Canberra will go away next week and make a decision on how long he is stood down for but I would think they’ve to stand him down for at least a month or again the NRL will come over the top and suspend him for that long.”

The Raiders said in their statement released earlier on Thursday: “Canberra Raiders today stood down Jack Wighton from this week's match against the Broncos and will convene a board meeting next week to discuss his position.”

“The Raiders will consult the NRL and are mindful that Jack was today referred to the Galambany Court next Wednesday 4th July.”

 

[KiwiDog7]

Brad Abbey is starting for Raiders at fullback and ironically we play Knights ...the last FG game Abbey played for us

 

[Straight18]

Brad Abbey is starting for Raiders at fullback and ironically we play Knights ...the last FG game Abbey played for us

I think he scored 3 tries at 5/8 in his last reserve grade game.

 

[BELMORE]

Brad Abbey is starting for Raiders at fullback and ironically we play Knights ...the last FG game Abbey played for us

Where’s the irony

 

[Mr Invisible]

Raiders fullback Jack Wighton's immediate playing future is still up in the air after his sentencing for an assault in Canberra earlier this year has been set for November.


Wighton appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday morning after last month he pleaded guilty to charges of assault and public urination from an incident in February at a Canberra nightspot.

The Canberra Times reported Wighton's lawyer applied to have the CCTV footage of the NRL star's brawl with three players suppressed from being released to the public.

Canberra's board is due to meet on Friday afternoon to discuss the incident.


The Raiders, who stood Wighton down last week after consultation with the NRL Integrity Unit, are expected to announce the club's sanctions.


He was not chosen in Canberra's 21-man squad to face the Bulldogs this Saturday night at Belmore.


Wighton will not appear in court again until November 14.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/06/jack-wighton-sentencing-for-assault-set-for-november/

Now why wouldn't they want that getting out ? Sounds like it's about to come out and get reported and his legal team are shitting themselves because they know his is going down.

Be interesting to see if NRL stand him down for the season.

 

[Mitch Connor]

My girlfriend works at Magistrates Court here. Jack was in today for something to do with the Galambany court because he’s indigenous.

 

[Mr Invisible]

Amazing... so he's pulling the "I'm Aboriginal" card on this one to skirt his legal responsibilities.

Wighton's mother's family is from the Wiradjuri tribe.

So he's what.. a quarter, an 8th?, a 16th?

https://www.courts.act.gov.au/magistrates/courts/galambany_court - Sounds like Kangaroo Court to me... a way to get him to avoid prison.

From having a read below sounds like he's boned.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/na...ootage-of-civic-assaults-20180706-p4zpvo.html

"I don’t remember anything from that night, I woke up the next day with a shiner".

This is what Canberra Raiders star Jack Wighton told police when questioned about his unprovoked attacks on five men in Civic on February 3, court documents said.

The fullback - who has been stood down from playing indefinitely - last month pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to five charges of assault and one count of public urination over the incident.

Wighton's defence team told a Canberra court on Friday that it would apply to have CCTV footage of the February incident and photographs of the victims' injuries suppressed.

Defence barrister, Jason Moffett, argued Wighton, as a well known public figure, would be subject to significant extra-curial punishment if the footage were to be made public.

The application is set to be heard in October.

The court also heard Wighton had been assessed as suitable to appear before the Galambany Court for sentence. The Galambany Court is a specialised court of Aboriginal offenders, within the ACT Magistrates Court. The sentence has been set for November.

Police facts, tendered in court on Friday, said the footage showed Wighton had just left a Civic nightclub, about 2.45am on February 3, when he headbutted and punched a man leaning on a shop window.
About 2.55am, a man approaches and shakes Wighton's hand, only for the NRL star to shove and then punch the victim in the face.
The documents said, about 10 minutes later, Wighton is seen to urinate on the road before attacking three men, headbutting and punching them in the head and face.
One victim suffered a laceration to the inside of his mouth, while another had a cut on his head.

Raiders chairman Allan Hawke has publicly pledged his support for the embattled fullback.
The Raiders board will meet Friday afternoon and will then release a statement about Wighton's punishment, but the fullback could be stood down for the rest of the season until his court case is finalised.
It is understood the NRL integrity commission will then review the penalty, and could intervene to impose further sanctions if it considered the Raiders' decision to be too lenient.

 

[Raysie]

I haven't delved into this whole Wighton thing at all. Let me get this straight. So his Mrs is at home pregnant and he's out on the town absolutely blind assaulting 5 men? Poor excuse for a man.

 

[The_Chimpster]

I only know what I've read and heard. But based on everything so far, and the fact that his lawyer is trying to suppress the footage, I hope he goes down - big time. Jail will do him some good, maybe he'll stop acting like a little punk when he gets out. But highly unlikely that will happen, even if he pummelled the poor guy he'll most likely pay a fine and get good behaviour and/or community service. The justice system stinks worse than Tommy Lee's armpits

 

[MatstaDogg]

Sounds like a right ****, and the fact that he's using the fact that he is a sniff of aboriginal to use the specialized court just erks me. Hope the prick cops it.

 

[Freakzilla]

By the Raiders. I think the NRL will abide by that.

 

[Mr Invisible]

What a load of shit..

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/09/canberra-raiders-hand-jack-wighton-six-game-suspension/

Fullback Jack Wighton has been handed a six-game suspension from the Canberra Raiders Board of Directors after a thorough internal analysis.

It follows Wighton's latest appearance in the ACT Magistrates Court.

Having already sat out matches against Brisbane and Canterbury, Wighton is expected to be next available for selection in round 22 against the Wests Tigers at GIO Stadium.

With Wighton's sentencing hearing in the Galambany Court set down for November 14, the Raiders Board took into account a range of facts in determining the sentence, including the health and well-being of the 25-year-old, his rehabilitation program, his upcoming community work with PCYC Canberra and his future court sentencing.

Wighton has also made moves to engage with the victims of his offence in February, agreeing to Restorative Justice, which would allow him an opportunity to repair the harm done by his offence.

Chairman Dr Allan Hawke said the Raiders would continue to work with Wighton to ensure he is taking the appropriate measures in his rehabilitation, and the punishment handed down by the Board considered all factors involved.
Dr Hawke added the Raiders would continue to take a strong stance on player behaviour, but were also mindful that every situation is different.

"We will continue to work with Jack to help him address the issues he's facing, his welfare, his well-being and his rehabilitation," Dr Hawke said.
"Jack has already taken some positive steps in this process and we will continue to ensure he's doing everything he can to continue in this direction."
"We don't condone Jack's actions and we've been transparent and upfront during this whole process,"
"Our club has taken a strong stance on issues like this in the past and our track record on dealing with player behaviour is on the public record.
"After reviewing all of the facts surrounding this incident we firmly stand by our decision and the punishment handed down."

He shouldn't play until the court case. SIMPLE.

NRL have set a precedent with Matt Lodge, so they can't exactly act on this bullshit. He should NEVER play the game again if guilty.

Hope he ends up in prison so there is no chance of him playing again.

 

[Howard Moon]

I got 3 months for spraypainting lol watch this psycho get a good behaviour bond and a piss weak fine

 

[Mr Invisible]

SUCK SHIT ****!! Greenberg has grown a spine on this one as Raiders aren't a beloved club of the NRL.

I'd be VERY suprised if the NRL don't stand him down until the court case is heard. If they've watched the footage and feel it warrants longer than 6 matches, you'd have to expect that the NRL potentially view this as career ending (depending on the courts).

Also leads more into why they want the footage supressed from hitting the public eye.

I reckon (if not for the Aboriginal Court shit), he'd be looking at getting locked up.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/12/nrl-set-to-enforce-stronger-ban-on-jack-wighton/

The NRL is set to recommend a stronger suspension for Canberra fullback Jack Wighton after the Raiders handed down a six-match ban after he pleaded guilty to assault.
The Raiders announced on Monday that Wighton would impose a punishment of a six-week ban, but NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said on Thursday that the league would be expecting a stronger punishment.

"I notice Canberra have proposed a six-week ban. We've viewed the footage and in our view it will warrant a stronger action than that, and that will be a discussion we will have directly with the Canberra club over the next couple of days," Greenberg said.

"We made our feelings pretty clear to Canberra. They made a decision. Ultimately the power rests with us to come over the top if we don't think the sanction is high enough. I'm not foreshadowing that today. What I am foreshadowing is that there will be a discussion had with Canberra."

Raiders officials are likely to meet Greenberg next week to discuss the matter.

Greenberg said it would remain in the club's hands to initially impose a penalty for infractions and that the NRL would not be imposing their own sanctions in the first instance.

"We have always maintained that players at clubs are their employees and they set culture within their clubs. To be frank Canberra have done a very good job of that over a long period of time, making hard decisions around players. On this occasion we will have a discussion with the club."

 

[Mr Invisible]

Cunberra Raiders are having a whinge because the NRL have handed down a 10 match ban and $30,000 fine.

They claim it's "too much".

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/13/jarrod-croker-believes-wightons-six-game-ban-appropriate/

The Raiders issued a statement to express their displeasure with the decision.

"After reviewing all of the facts surrounding this incident we firmly stand by our decision and the punishment handed down by the club," chairman Allan Hawke said.

"We're disappointed to learn the NRL does not agree with this punishment and feel they have to come over the top and add a further four weeks and a monetary fine to the penalty."
"This penalty is excessive, as Jack still has to face further penalties imposed by the ACT Magistrate and Galambany Courts. We are perplexed as to why the NRL felt the need to impose further punishment before this process was concluded and it sets an extraordinary precedent to the way matters are handled by clubs in the future."
"In light of this, it appears clubs don't really have a role in imposing penalties on their own employees, so perhaps it's time for the NRL and its Integrity Unit to decide these matters, so that there will be a consistent approach for future offences."
"We will continue to support Jack in his rehabilitation."

...

This Allan Hawke bloke sounds like a deadset fuckhead.. I bet if it was one of his family that had the shit beaten out of them by Wighton he wouldn't be as laid back over it.

Hope the NRL hit HIM with a juicy fine for bringing the game into disrepute.