A burglary charge against
Australian rugby union fly-half Quade Cooper has been dropped following court
approved mediation.
Cooper, 22, did not appear in Southport Magistrates Court here on Friday,
where police offered no evidence against him on allegations he stole two
laptops from a residence on the Gold Coast on December 6 last year.
Cooper’s lawyers said the withdrawal of the charge followed a mediation
process with the complainants, which was conducted through the Department of
Justice and Attorney-General.
Cooper’s lawyer, Dan McManus, said mediation was an accepted part of the
Queensland justice system.
“It can only take place with the willing participation and consent of all
parties, including the Queensland Police Service,” he said.
“Justice mediation is a confidential process and the parties cannot
elaborate on the content or details of the events nor the process which has led
to this outcome.”
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) issued a statement saying that Cooper had
been fined following an internal review into his behaviour.
The ARU said it had “taken into account negative publicity for the game”
and a failure by Cooper late last month to inform officials of a further court
appearance related to a traffic infringement.
Cooper has been fined 7,500 Australian dollars (6,600 US dollars) and will
remain involved in support and monitoring programs instituted at the start of
the year.
“I want to thank everyone who’s helped me during what has been a
challenging time, particularly family and close friends,” Cooper said in the
statement.
“I’m glad I can now just concentrate on playing well for Australia.”
Cooper will be available for the Wallabies Tri-Nations opener against South
Africa in Brisbane on July 24.
– AAP
