Ex-Geraldton footballer Dale Ashley Wallam to be sentenced after pleading guilty to drug and domestic violence charges

In 2017 he was an up-and-coming football star who had attracted the attention of at least one AFL club. This week, troubled former Mullewa Football Club player Dale Ashley Wallam pleaded guilty to a string of domestic violence and drug offences after lengthy negotiations with police. The 27-year-old, who also goes by the surname, Collard, has been in custody since his arrest in December last year for a serious assault on his partner in Rangeway. At the time he was out on bail for a sickening attack on the same woman just over a month earlier. During that incident Wallam cut his partner’s neck with a key before slamming her head on the floor and holding her mouth shut so she could not scream. Later, while the distraught woman sat on the kerb outside their home, Wallam allegedly drove his car towards her at speed before screeching to a halt. The victim, who at this point fled to a nearby home, reportedly told officers she feared for her life, thinking Wallam was trying to kill her. She was also punched in the head, face and body during the prolonged attack. Wallam later pleaded guilty to 21 offences including five counts of possession of meth, possession of a prohibited weapon, making threats to injure or harm a person, aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm, and numerous traffic offences. On Monday he pleaded guilty to further charges of deprivation of liberty, aggravated unlawful assault occasioning bodily harm, breach of protective bail, driving under the influence of a prescribed illicit drug, and possession of 0.5g grams of methamphetamine. He was initially charged with possession of meth with intent to sell or supply but the charge was downgraded on Monday. A further charge of aggravated home burglary was dismissed and he was remanded in custody at Greenough Regional Prison to await sentencing in the District Court on July 31. Wallam was once among the Great Northern Football League’s most promising young players. He played five games with Swan Districts in the colts and reserves in 2011 and 2013, and Swans were interested in him rejoining them after a best-on-ground performance in Mullewa’s 2017 premiership win. However, he is no stranger to the law. In September 2018 Wallam was sentenced to eight months in Greenough Regional Prison for numerous charges including meth possession, driving with fake numberplates and carrying a baseball bat to cause fear. A month later he received a concurrent six-month term of imprisonment after an August 2018 charge of no authority to drive caught up with him. At the time Magistrate Donna Webb lambasted him for not living up to his potential. “Your life was going places,” she said. “At your best, you’re actually a very impressive man: decent, polite, intelligent and funny. At your worst, you’re an idiot.”