A disgraced former rugby league player has told a Sydney court he hoped illegally importing and exporting exotic animals would help him pay off a debt to a convicted fraudster.
Former Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos prop Martin Kennedy's NRL career ended when he was banned for almost three years by an anti-doping tribunal in 2016.
He faced a sentence hearing in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to six offences including exporting native animals without a permit.
He told the court he had hoped the money earned from the crimes would help him pay some bills and cover a debt of about $25,000 he owed to friend Neil Simpson, a convicted bank fraudster later involved in illegal wildlife trading.
Kennedy, 30, was caught in 2016 after authorities investigating an exotic wildlife smuggling ring intercepted several packages of live animals.
The wildlife included shingleback lizards, snapping turtles and sugar gliders.
The ex-footballer, who opened a snake breeding business during his playing career, acknowledged in court on Thursday he was aware proper permits would allow him to legally export some of the animals.
But he said he "didn't want to".
"I didn't feel the need. I disagreed with the strictness of the legislation and didn't think it was warranted," he said.
He testified his initial reason to get a loan from Mr Simpson was to help pay off some of the "hundreds of thousands" in legal fees he'd been charged after fighting his anti-doping ban.
Kennedy strongly denied Mr Simpson's claims that he was actually given the money as part of a joint venture to buy and breed albino snakes.
"The first I heard of the albino snake breeding program was when the statement was tendered to the court (this year)," he said.
Mr Simpson had earlier testified he paid the ex-footballer $109,000 in two instalments to breed the exotic snakes.
But he said he had no record of the deal, explaining it was done over secure encrypted messaging app wickr.
The sentence hearing will resume on Friday.
Judge Sean Grant said he planned to sentence Kennedy on June 7.
Australian Associated Press
