Court Dismisses Charges Against NRL Players Mitchell and Wighton Amid Police Evidence Inaccuracy

Senior police officer admits his testimonial evidence was inaccurate, leading to dismissal of case that charged Australian Rugby players Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton with public fighting and other offenses.

• NRL players Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton were arrested in February for fighting at a nightclub, with Wighton additionally charged for ignoring an exclusion order and Mitchell charged with affray and resisting police.
• The case was dismissed after a senior police officer admitted that his testimonial evidence about Wighton's behavior, which included 'pushing and shoving' a man at the nightclub, did not match CCTV and police body-camera footage.
• The incident saw four police officers pinning Mitchell down, which was prominently reported by national broadcasters and led to Mitchel screaming and witnesses claiming they had done nothing wrong.
• The dismissal of the case prompted criticism of police and prosecutors, with Raiders CEO Don Furner branding it an 'extraordinary waste' of court's time and taxpayers' money, and Mitchell's lawyer and ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury calling for a review.
• In response to the incident and its outcome, Wighton expressed gratitude to his former club, the Canberra Raiders, and his family for their support, while Mitchell highlighted the traumatic impact of the ordeal on himself and his family.

3 Articles

ESPN CNA Reuters