The estranged on-again, off-again accomplice of sport journalist Paul Kent has given an account about an alleged home violence incident in new video performed to a court docket.
The 53-year-old Daily Telegraph and Fox Sports rugby league journalist is preventing allegations he attacked a 33-year-old girl at his residence in Lilyfield in May, 2023.
Police allege the pair had been concerned in a home dispute earlier than Mr Kent assaulted and choked the girl. He was arrested by NSW Police on the residence shortly after.
Body-worn footage performed earlier than a listening to at Downing Centre District Court on Monday confirmed the girl telling officers that Mr Kent had had his palms “around my neck”.
“I don’t want to make my life more difficult. It’s the second time this has happened … the last time, I hoped it would be the last,” the girl was heard telling officers.
“I have to go to the airport. I didn’t expect this to happen. I don’t want to ruin his life … He has done this before and I have given him a second chance.”
Police had been captured on video photographing the girl’s left hand, proper elbow, chin, and neck, which the girl instructed the officer was “red” because of the alleged assault.
About the identical time, police hooked up to Glebe police station attended the scene and spoke with Mr Kent, who was nonetheless inside the house. Their physique worn footage was additionally performed.
In the video, Mr Kent was heard telling officers that the girl had been “nasty” and that she had allegedly tried to take his telephone following an argument earlier that morning.
“I told her to leave … I grabbed my phone with my hands and she fell to the ground and screamed,” Mr Kent mentioned whereas motioning with each palms.
“I didn’t hit her, I didn’t strike her. She fell to the ground … I got the phone and then she tried to get my computer. She said: ‘What are you hiding?’
“She was outside when she rang you … she wasn’t in danger. I’m not attacking her, I did nothing. The only time I touched her was to try and get my phone back.”
Mr Kent instructed police the couple had not seen a lot of one another for about two months and that she had accused him of mendacity and had referred to as him repeatedly.
The day of the incident, Mr Kent instructed police he was alerted to the girl coming into his residence by the again sliding door on his CCTV earlier than the argument broke out.
Shortly after, a person who instructed police his identify was Steve and that he ran Fox Sports arrived on the residence in Sydney’s internal west and spoke with officers about Mr Kent.
“I’m his boss at work… she (the woman) rang me as well. I said: ‘You’ve done this before’, and she said ‘Yes’. We’ve discouraged him from seeing her,” he mentioned.
“But, I don’t know what to do. I spoke to him last night…. I run Fox Sports, he’s one of our hosts…. I look after him because she’s taken advantage of him.”
A second man current outdoors the home however who was not named on the recording went on to inform police: “She’s a nice girl. I f****g feel for her, she makes it up”.
Mr Kent had beforehand accused the girl within the footage of getting “made s**t up” and threatening to name the police due to, he alleged, his job within the media.
“She threatened this s**t all the time…. Because I work in the media, if I get f******g charged there is every chance I get sacked. That’s what I said to her.”
The girl was referred to as to provide proof on Monday in a closed court docket session. The listening to is about to renew afterward Monday.
In whole, Mr Kent faces three costs together with widespread assault, choking an individual with out their consent, and the extra severe cost of assault occasioning precise bodily hurt.
He pleaded not responsible to all costs in court docket earlier this 12 months. Initially, the girl was additionally arrested however was later launched with out cost.
Mr Kent’s lawyer, Phillip Boulen SC, questioned Constable Jack Wrinkler, whose physique worn footage was performed, over whether or not he had instructed Mr Kent the case was “weak”.
The 53-year-old was briefly stood down from his roles as a senior author for The Daily Telegraph and host of Fox Sports present NRL 360 after the costs had been laid.
The court docket was instructed Mr Kent had solely a single matter of low-range drink driving on his document. During the footage, each Mr Kent and the girl talked about he had weapons in a secure on the residence.
The girl was referred to as to provide proof earlier than the court docket on Monday in a closed court docket session. The two-day listening to is about to renew afterward Monday.
Source: www.news.com.au
