Chris Mainwaring, a former West Coast Eagles player and close friend of Cousins, died of a drug overdose on 1 October 2007. Cousins received renewed media attention, as he was the last person to see Mainwaring alive, having visited him twice on the night of his death to provide emotional support and deliver food. On 16 October, Cousins was arrested in the Perth suburb of Northbridge after police pulled over his vehicle because of "the manner of his driving". Cousins' vehicle was searched, and he was charged with failure to comply with a police-ordered drug assessment and possession of a prohibited drug, the police having found quantities of prescription drugs diazepam, Viagra, oxycodone and Caverta as well as traces of ecstasy and cocaine on a $20 note in the car. Cousins was sacked by West Coast for serious breaches of his agreement with the club the day after his arrest. On 19 October, Cousins's lawyer, Shane Brennan, reported that police would drop the drug-related charges against him. On 27 October, Cousins flew to Los Angeles to continue his drug rehabilitation at the Summit Center. The media reported that Cousins was missing and had failed to attend treatment in Malibu, and he was admitted to hospital several days later after an alleged cocaine binge. No charges were laid by US police. He returned to Australia and told a packed media conference that he was "overcoming a drug addiction". A week later he flew to the Gold Coast for a three-day alcohol and drug binge during Schoolies week.