NRL player Zane Muxjmtzywsgrove has received a tongue lashing from a magistrate for being untruthful.
Musgrove claimed he wasn’t aware his licence had been suspended when he was pulled over in Sydney’s eastern suburbs late last year.
The Wests Tigers prop on Wednesday appeared in Waverley Local Court where he apologised for his actions before making a side-door exit to duck waiting media.
The 25-year-old was pulled over driving a black BMW at Maroubra around 9.15pm on November 26, with the court told that he was making a late-night dash for dinner.
He attracted the attention of police because his lights were not on, court documents state.
When officers performed a check on his licence, they discovered he had been issued with a three-month suspension in September.
His licence was suspended after he was caught speeding less than 10km/h over the speed limit in March and June that year.
Further checks also revealed Musgrove’s licence had expired four days prior.
He told officers at the time that he did not know why his licence was suspended.
Musgrove, who played for the Maori All Stars side last year, was charged with one count of driving while his licence was suspended and earlier this year pleaded guilty.
His lawyer William Del Din told the court that the Samoan international was under the misapprehension that he was right to drive and his suspension had ended.
However, the court was told that Musgrove had also been stopped in Bondi on November 1 and issued with suspension advice by officers.
Mr Del Din said Musgrove accepted he should have checked with Roads and Maritime Services before getting behind the wheel.
“I just want to say I know the importance of holding a licence in NSW and understand it’s a right to hold a licence and I don’t want to be back here,” Musgrove told the court when asked by magistrate Jacqueline Milledge if he had anything to say for himself.
However, Ms Milledge said that Mr Musgrove was being untruthful, adding that when he was stopped by police earlier in November he would have been given notice of the length of his suspension.
She also said he would have received suspension notices in the mail.
“You’re not being honest. The police stopped you and gave you a notice of suspension,” she said.
“ … Then you kept on driving because you need to get around … You weren’t being truthful.”
She said Musgrove, who has played 38 NRL games since debuting for South Sydney in 2016, had received extra-curial punishment by way of media attention.
She did not impose a conviction but fined him $1200 and slapped him with a further three-month suspension.
Musgrove evaded waiting media by slipping out the side door at Waverley Local Court.
