KEY POINTS:
All Black halfback Jimmy Cowan had issues which were "raging" at the time he was arrested on disorderly behaviour charges in May and June, a judge said yesterday.
Cowan was being sentenced in Invercargill District Court after earlier admitting two charges relating to separate early morning incidents in Dunedin and Invercargill .
The plea came after police substituted a lesser charge for the Invercargill incident, meaning Cowan faced only a fine rather than possible imprisonment, the Southland Times reported.
Cowan did not appear in court but his lawyer Judith Ablett-Kerr, QC told Judge Kevin Phillips that the professional sportsman was receiving counselling for personal issues but did not want those matters discussed in open court.
"The issues would cause an ordinary person to feel a similar amount of distress," she said.
"He dealt with it in the way he did, with alcohol - clearly something that has proved highly unacceptable.
"... he apologises to the court and apologises to the New Zealand public that he has brought this publicity on himself and very much regrets it."
Contrary to legal advice, the 26-year-old had already made a public statement apologising and acknowledging there were issues he had to deal with, she said.
Judge Phillips said Cowan had acknowledged the pressures he had been under and was working to overcome his frailties.
"When I view the circumstances here, the problems he had were raging at the time," Judge Phillips said.
Cowan was no longer a menace to the community because of the actions he had taken, the judge said.
"He has fronted up ... I accept his apology."
Cowan was convicted and discharged on the Dunedin matter and convicted and fined $300 on the other charge.
Police said Cowan jumped on a parked car in Dunedin on May 11 and on June 29 had an altercation with door staff outside an Invercargill nightclub after he was refused entry for being too drunk.
Cowan still faces a third charge of disorderly behaviour relating to a separate incident in Dunedin.
- NZPA
