"Just a bad day" was how a magistrate summed up former NRL star Brent Kite's trouble with the law on February 9 when he was arrested after being stopped for driving an unregistered car.
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Kite, who retired in 2015 after playing his last game for the Panthers, fronted the Queanbeyan Local Court on Tuesday charged with failing to produce a driver's licence and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.
Facts tendered to the court state that on the day in question, police identified a car, driven by Kite, that had not been registered since the previous October.
After police told him the reason for the stop on Lowe Street, Kite said "is that the law?"
He refused a request to wind down his window to provide his licence, prompting an officer to activate his body-worn camera.
Kite was asked again to produce his licence to which he said "no, I can't".
The 2008 Clive Churchill medallist then became argumentative on several occasions and said "if I have committed an offence, then arrest me".
For 14 minutes, he argued with police and refused to provide them with a valid licence.
Police used force to gain entry into his car before placing him under arrest.
Kite, 41, represented himself in court and initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
What was set to be a hearing on Tuesday turned into a brief session instead with Kite changing his pleas to guilty to all charges, including a fresh one of hindering police.
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Prior to his admissions, he asked the court about the maximum penalties for each offence to "help me defend myself today".
He then said he wanted to expedite the case.
After magistrate Roger Clisdell told him the traffic offences were fines only and that maximum penalties were rarely imposed, Kite said he was "not looking to cause trouble".
Kite, who told the court his labouring business employs some junior Raiders players, said the circumstances at the time, including him moving away from his children, probably contributed to his behaviour towards police.
"Probably the wrong day ... doing really hard work - the type where you sort of start questioning life decisions," he said.
"But I'm enjoying that now, running a small crew.
"Just reading over it [court documents about the incident], probably in a very different headspace. I was giving the boys a bit of a hard time."
Kite, who also played 10 games for NSW during his 13-year career, said he shook hands with one of the police officers after the incident.
He told the magistrate "I didn't mean to offend you" on the previous occasion when he shouted and said it was a "shitty little court".
Mr Clisdell said "you were a little bit worked up last time".
"Anyway, it's all fine. I don't hold grudges," he said.
The magistrate said "it was just a bad day" in February and that it "seems things have changed quite dramatically" since the previous court session.
Mr Clisdell cited Kite's history and said "it's been a long time between drinks since you came to court, isn't it?"
"Eighteen years," he said.
"Apparently for stating a false name and address and driving whilst suspended."
Kite responded with "was I in court 18 years ago?"
"I did do that," he said.
Kite, who also played for the Sea Eagles and Dragons, asked the court to excuse him for his work attire because "I'll be off to work afterwards".
He was fined $500 for all offences and given 28 days to pay.
Mr Clisdell told him "good luck with your business".
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