Regarded as the Roosters bad-boy by some, Roosters hooker Jake Friend has escaped a drug conviction for possessing restricted drugs.

Friend has been put on a good behaviour bond for 2 years, after he pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing three Diazepam Valium tablets and seven Diazepam Antenex tablets.

It was on June 5 of this year that he was found in possession of the tranquilizers containing the restricted drugs by police at Coogee in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

The magistrate in charge of Friend’s case, Jacqueline Milledge noted that the young fans of Friend in the NRL world would be reading and studying his case with some interest.

“A lot of people believed in him and he could not let them down”, she said.

“You need to be the best role model you possibly can,” Ms Milledge said.

The magistrate did admit that she hadn’t heard of Friend as told to defence lawyer Stephen Alexander.

“Should I know who he is?” she asked.

The defence lawyer used the plea of the references that Friend had at his disposal as a way to get him off, including a reference from perhaps the biggest figure at the Roosters club, CEO Steve Noyce.

In the reference from Noyce, he stated that Friend showed a lot of potential and future promise as budding young player.

The defence lawyer also stated that Friend had done significant rehab courtesy of the club as well as undergoing extensive counselling in a bit to curb his problem.

It’s also a well-known fact that Friend worked at a local Bondi cafe as a pot-washer as a result of a previous drink-driving charge whilst contracted to the Roosters.

“You and I are joined at the hip for the next two years, and I don’t want to see you again,” she said.

By ricky

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