Paul Cecil Hayward (11 January 1954 – 9 May 1992) was a professional rugby league footballer who played for the Newtown Jets between 1973 and 1978.

Sporting career

Paul Hayward played 73 first grade games for the Newtown Jets during his 6 seasons with the club, scoring 14 tries and kicking 43 goals. Originally a South Sydney junior league player from the ''Waterloo Waratahs'' club, he later represented a combined Sydney representative side that toured New Zealand in 1976 playing half-back. Paul Hayward had been selected to represent Australia as a

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

at the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

in Montreal. Under the Olympic rules of that time, he was disqualified from competing after he turned professional.

Arrest and incarceration

Hayward was the brother-in-law of convicted criminal Neddy Smith. After the football season for 1978 had ended, Neddy Smith sent Hayward to Bangkok with

Warren Fellows Warren Fellows (born 13 September 1953) is an Australian former drug courier who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Thailand in 1978 for his role in a heroin trafficking operation that took place from Perth to Bangkok. In his best-selling ...

to arrange a shipment of heroin. On 11 October 1978, Hayward and Fellows were arrested at the Montien Hotel in Bangkok when a suitcase containing heroin was found in his room. He and Fellows were convicted in Thailand, alongside William Sinclair, for attempting to export 8.4

kilograms The kilogram (also kilogramme) is the unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), having the unit symbol kg. It is a widely used measure in science, engineering and commerce worldwide, and is often simply called a kilo colloquially ...

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

to Australia. Paul Hayward received a 30-year sentence while Warren Fellows received life. Hayward was imprisoned in Lard Yao men's prison in Klong Prem Central Prison before being moved to

Bangkwang Bang Kwang Central Prison ( th, เรือนจำกลางบางขวาง; ) is a men's prison in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand, on the Chao Phraya River about 11 km north of Bangkok. It is a part of the Department of Correcti ...

. After being transferred back to Lard Yao he was released on 7 April 1989, after being granted a

royal pardon In the English and British tradition, the royal prerogative of mercy is one of the historic royal prerogatives of the British monarch, by which they can grant pardons (informally known as a royal pardon) to convicted persons. The royal preroga ...

. He returned to Sydney, via Perth shortly afterwards.

Decline and death

Hayward became a heroin user during his time in prison and contracted HIV. On Saturday 9 May 1992, Hayward was home with his family when he collapsed in the bathroom about 3pm, a police spokeswoman said. Ambulance officers tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him and he was announced dead on arrival at

Canterbury Hospital The Canterbury Hospital is a metropolitan hospital in Campsie, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Canterbury Hospital was opened in 1929 and was rebuilt in 1998. Canterbury Hospital is one of many hospitals in ...

. Later it was pronounced that he died of a heroin overdose. He was survived by his wife Gail and his three children.

Sporting career

Arrest and incarceration

Decline and death

References

Further reading