The Karmichael Hunt cocaine scandal has entered its tell-all TV interview phase, so overnight, the disgraced footballer appeared on Seven’s Sunday Night program to speak about his February arrest and its repercussions.
Hunt’s wife Emma was on hand, and told the program she “wasn’t overly surprised” when he was caught up on cocaine supply charges, and that he had ignored her when she asked him to curb his drug use.
“It was actually almost a sense of relief for me that it was like, OK, we’re here,” she said. “I just felt like hopefully it was the end of it, you know, the end of a period of many years.”
After his arrest, Hunt was fined $2500 and released without a conviction recorded; it later emerged that, when negotiating with law enforcement, he had named other players involved in cocaine supply in order to receive a lighter sentence.
Karmichael Hunt on 7 News: “I was compelled to talk (to the Police)” #7News http://t.co/EdJhdg9BNt
— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) July 5, 2015
When this obviously touchy topic came up in the interview, Hunt maintained that he had no choice but to name names, implicating a dozen Gold Coast Suns players in the scandal.
“The whole ‘ratting on my mates’ notion that’s out there and dobbing my mates in to sorta … save myself was pretty disappointing,” he said, of the stories that have since followed him around.
“What’s been said has portrayed him as being disloyal, and that’s just something that .. he is actually one of the most wholeheartedly loyal people that I know,” Emma said.
“I was compelled to talk,” added Hunt. “I was compelled to turn up to the [Crime and Corruption Commission], and obviously, if I didn’t, the repercussions were pretty serious.”
While the players in question are under investigation by the CCC and can not be named, Hunt maintains that he has spoken to “every one” and says that they are “doing well” and understand what compelled him to come forward.
Pending the outcome of the CCC’s investigation, it’s likely more players will be named in the weeks and months to come.
