Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins has been given a 12-month prison sentence for stalking and breaching a violence restraining order (VRO), with a magistrate saying he subjected his former partner to "nine months of terror".
Cousins, 38, has been behind bars since February after he was arrested at a home in the southern Perth suburb of Melville.
The former AFL star later pleaded guilty to 11 charges, including drug possession and the aggravated stalking of Maylea Tinecheff — the mother of his children.
Appearing in Perth Magistrates Court for sentencing, Cousins gave his father Bryan a thumbs up before the hearing got underway.
The court then heard the self-confessed drug addict had tried to contact Ms Tinecheff up to 103 times a day over a period of many months, with Magistrate Richard Huston describing it as "nine months of terror for the victim".
All up, he attempted to contact his ex-partner more than 2,000 times between October last year and his arrest in February.
The court was also told Cousins had breached the VRO three times in less than two years.
Cousins' lawyer Michael Tudori asked for the sentence to be suspended so his client could attend an intensive community-based drug rehabilitation program.
But Magistrate Huston refused the request, saying the courts needed to send a clear message.
He said the anxiety, fear and worry Cousins had created was harmful to his victim's wellbeing.
"It is very serious offending and must be treated as such," he said.
"It could not be seen as a momentary lapse on his part."
Cousins will eligible for parole after six months, with his sentence backdated until February 24 — meaning his earliest possible release date will be in August.
He was also fined a total of $2,400 for possessing eight grams of methamphetamine and a smoking implement and for driving without a licence, after being deemed unfit to drive under the mental health act.
'Entrenched drug addiction' to blame, court told
The court heard Cousins had been using two grams of methamphetamine a day and had an "entrenched drug addiction" which was the "root of all his problems".
Mr Tudori said prior to Cousins' imprisonment, his client had no interest in coming off drugs — but after five weeks in custody he was finally in a position to change his life.
"There is only one person who can make him get off drugs and that's himself," he said.
Mr Tudori told the court Cousins' last significant period of employment had been during his football career, and suggested the West Coast Eagles had indicated there could be some work at the club for their former skipper down the track.
"They haven't turned their back on him," he said.
Magistrate Huston said it was incredibly disappointing that Cousins, who was uniquely placed to show inspiration and leadership to others in the community, had chosen not to.
"It is sadly a tale of despair and missed opportunities," he said.
'A shame' rehab chance missed: lawyer
Speaking outside court, Mr Tudori said the chance to enter drug rehabilitation had been "pulled away" from Cousins.
"It is disappointing, especially when Ben has made that decision to go to rehabilitation, but you know, Ben's doing okay," Mr Tudori said.
"It's the first time that I've seen Ben in a long time that he's very clear thinking, his mental health is very stable and it's a shame that the opportunity's missed for him to go into residential rehab."
The sentence caps a remarkable fall from grace for Cousins, who won the AFL's highest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal, in 2005 before helping lead the Eagles to the 2006 premiership.
Cousins — who played 238 games for the Eagles and captained them for five seasons — was sacked by the club the following year after a series of off-field indiscretions and was suspended by the AFL for 12 months for bringing the game into disrepute.
He was given a second chance when he joined Richmond in 2009 and appeared in 32 games for the Tigers before retiring from football.
Seven years later — and almost a decade on from a then-secret report on the drug culture at the Eagles in the early to mid-2000s — Cousins will now spend at least another five months behind bars.
Jail could help Cousins: Jakovich
Former West Coast Eagles teammate Glen Jakovich said he hoped the prison sentence marked rock bottom for Cousins.
"On face value you'd like to think he can get the right therapy inside," he said.
"He needs some structure and to just get treatment and go clean for six to 12 months would be ideal.
"The football world ... is wanting a positive outcome out of this, that he gets help, gets good rehab and cleans himself up and lives a normal, functional life."
Mr Tudori said they would consider lodging an appeal against the sentence.
