Prominent rugby league journalist and TV presenter Paul Kent is facing court over the next few days after being charged with common assault, intentionally choking a person without consent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm according to Stuff NZ.
Kent’s case is being heard in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court. The 53 year old has temporarily been stood down from his roles as a senior writer for The Daily Telegraph and host of Fox Sports show NRL 360 due to the domestic violence allegations brought against him.
According to reports, he is accused of attacking the 33-year-old woman at his home in Lilyfield in May. He faces a two-day court appearance which began on Monday 11th November.
Since he was first charged, more allegations have been brought against Kent and now the trial has begun.
Within the trial, a recording from the police of Kent’s alleged victim was shown. Stuff NZ explain the footage: “In the recording, the distraught woman can be heard saying she visited Kent the day before – on May 11– and saw a bottle of Prosecco while she was making coffee.
“She told police that she asked Kent who owned the bottle, since ‘he’s trying to sort his mental health out,’ and she left soon after.
“She said that, the day after the Prosecco conversation, she was ‘messaging him a lot’ and called him before walking through his back door about 10.30am.
“The woman told police Kent either ‘gets really angry and aggressive or shuts down and won’t respond to messages’ when he’s angry.
“‘I walked into his office, and he said, ‘What are you doing here?’ and claimed he was screaming.
“The woman told police that, after a short argument, Kent pushed her to the ground and assaulted her after she took his phone from him.
“‘He grabbed me and … he moved his hands onto my neck, and when he got his phone and he let go, I was trying to reach my phone and he had his hand on my mouth,’ the woman can be heard saying in the video.”
Then further footage from the police was shown of their interaction with Kent after this.
Stuff NZ broke down the footage: “At first, he told police she was ‘just being nasty’ and he didn’t want to say anything about the incident.
“When the police officer told him there had been an allegation of assault against him, he said, ‘No.’ He told police he had been ignoring the woman’s calls and messages after an argument the previous day, and was doing work in his office that morning when he saw her standing in his hallway.
“‘I told her to leave and went to walk her out … and she grabbed my phone,’ he told police in the footage.
“‘She fell to the ground and screamed … She called a friend … and then she rang you guys.’
“When police prodded further about his attempt to grab his phone back, Kent made an action of clasping his hands together.
“‘She had it [the phone] like this,’ he said in the footage.
“‘I didn’t do anything like that [she is accusing]. I didn’t strike her, she fell to the ground. I said she has no right to be in this house.’
“Kent alleged the woman was ‘going through all [his] drawers and stuff,’ adding later, ‘I’m not a f…ing lunatic. If I get charged, there’s every chance I’ll get sacked,” he said in the footage. She’s f…ing irrational, mate.'”
