Former AFL star Ben Cousins will spend a second night behind bars after a Perth Magistrate decided not to grant him bail in relation to his latest charge – reserving her decision until she speaks to Cousins' former partner.
A self-represented Cousins was in Armadale Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with one count of breaching a violence restraining order on Tuesday.
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Ben Cousins appears in court
Fallen AFL star Ben Cousins has appeared in court and made a bid for bail without a lawyer. As he was led away from the dock, he yelled out "you dirty coppers". Vision courtesy of Nine News Perth.
The VRO was taken out on him by the mother of his two children, Maylea Tinecheff.
The troubled former West Coast Eagles captain, who is now facing six charges relating to three separate arrests in the past two months, was reportedly calm during his court appearance.
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According to Nine News Perth reporter Renae Henry, the 38-year-old told the presiding Magistrate he had done nothing wrong.
She told Radio 6PR Cousins said police were called after he dropped a vehicle at Ms Tinecheff's home for the family to use, and then walked to a nearby park when his children ran out to see him.
"He claims that he was playing with [his children] in the park, that his ex-partner has then come out to join them in the park, and he claims it was her fault for approaching him and coming within 10 metres of him," Ms Henry said.
"He tried to put forward it wasn't his fault, that he was just spending time with his children that ran out to be with him and it was her that approached him."
The Magistrate warned Cousins the allegations were serious and said she needed to hear Cousins' former partner's version of events before deciding whether to grant bail.
Cousins has received bail on his previous two court appearances.
One of his conditions of bail is that he not be within 50 metres of his former partner, and only contact her via text message to arrange visitation for his two children, aged three and five.
After the Magistrate delayed Cousins' bail application, he reportedly yelled out a comment expressing his dissatisfaction with police, before being taken back into custody.
Cousins is facing six charges for incidents over the past two months.
He is accused of two counts of possessing methamphetamine, breaching bail for failing to appear in court in November, and three breaches to a violence restraining order.
He is scheduled to appear in Armadale Magistrates Court for the remaining five charges, excluding Wednesday's new charge, on December 13.
The Brownlow medallist's arrest in Canning Vale on Tuesday came two weeks after he was released from Royal Perth Hospital suffering minor injuries from a late-night car crash.
The incident occurred just hours after Cousins failed to show for a court appearance on November 22 and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Police alleged he was in possession of methamphetamine at the time of the crash.
He appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on November 25 following his hospital stint and was released on bail.
During the hearing, he appeared fidgety, coughing often and standing up and sitting down repeatedly while in the dock.
His latest bail application hearing will continue on Thursday.
History of mental health, drug issues
Cousins has had drug issues throughout his career and after it ended in 2010.
The fallen football star was last detained by police, and then hospitalised, in late June after interfering with traffic on Canning Highway in Como while in a dazed state.
At one stage he was banned for a year from football while contracted to the Eagles and had several run-ins with police after Richmond threw him a lifeline in 2009.
The 2005 Brownlow medallist was spared jail last year for a bizarre episode in which he trespassed at a Sikh temple in Canning Vale.
In the subsequent court case, a lawyer for Cousins said his client had been mentally ill at the time of incident, had been hospitalised rather than locked up and had taken a fencing job in Collie.
When former Eagles teammate Chris Judd launched his autobiography Inside last October he said he'd had recent contact with Cousins and that he was "doing well".
West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett, on the eve of the club's 10-year premiership celebrations, said he would forgo that 2006 success in exchange for the good mental health of Cousins and other troubled ex-Eagles from that side.
Cousins' on-field career had just about every honour imaginable, including six All-Australian jumpers and a Brownlow Medal in 2005.
But there was just as much drama off it, with West Coast forced to take the captaincy of its favourite son after he famously avoided a booze bus by jumping into the Canning River and then eventually being sacked by the club in 2007 after several failed stints in rehab.
He finished his career with two seasons at Richmond in 2009 and 2010 and played 270 AFL games in total.