Ex-AFL player Cousins in hospital

AFL Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins is in police custody for the third time in a fortnight after behaving erratically in Perth's southern suburbs.

Former AFL footballer Ben Cousins

Former AFL star Ben Cousins (AAP)

AFL premiership player Ben Cousins is in hospital awaiting mental health assessment after driving erratically outside a Sikh temple he'd photographed and climbing onto the roof of a two-storey home.

Witnesses said a man believed to be Cousins was seen taking photos on his phone of the Gurdwara Sahib temple in Canning Vale about 11am on Monday and drove off erratically before leaving his car in the middle of Shreeve Road.

Sikh leader Jasvinder Singh told reporters Cousins was getting in and out of his car, and almost caused accidents.

"He was taking photos everywhere of the temple," he said.

"He was not looking stable."

CCTV footage showed him running from police.

He allegedly jumped fences and climbed onto the roof of a two-storey house where he paced until police talked him down.

"There was about eight police cars lined up ... and then once they put somebody in the back of the paddywagon ... they've taken off and I can hear the guy screaming and yelling and carrying on in the back of the van," witness Travis Ward told the Seven Network.

Witness Jenny Wilson told Network Ten: "I was pretty panicked - I locked the doors and we stayed inside in one of the bedrooms until I could get confirmation from police that it (the arrest) was done."

Police have not confirmed Cousins' identity, but said a 36-year-old man had been arrested and taken to hospital for assessment.

They said no charges had been laid and inquiries were continuing.

Cousins remains in a stable condition in the emergency department of Armadale Hospital.

Eagles champion Glen Jakovich tweeted that he was sad to see Cousins' current situation.

"He needs serious help and needs to get out of this country. Feel for his family," Jakovich said.

This is the third police incident Cousins has been involved in over the past fortnight.

The 2005 Brownlow medallist was arrested on March 11 after he was allegedly seen driving erratically on Preston Point Road in Bicton and did not stop when requested by police.

He was eventually caught several suburbs away in Mosman Park.

Police charged him with reckless driving, failing to stop and refusing a breath test.

Four days later, Cousins was detained for breaching security at an SAS base in Swanbourne, then taken to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital's mental health ward for assessment.

Cousins fell from grace following a string of off-field incidents and substance abuse problems.

The father-of-two was suspended from the AFL for one year in 2007 for bringing the game into disrepute before making a comeback with Richmond. He retired in 2010.

Cousins is scheduled to appear in Fremantle Magistrates Court on April 8.


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Source: AAP


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