Footy commentator Paul Kent is found not guilty of assaulting and choking his ex-girlfriend

Sports journalist Paul Kent has been found not guilty of charges he attacked and strangled his then-partner at his home in Sydney’s west.

After a two-day hearing at Downing Center Local Court in Sydney, Judge Daniel Rees told the court he could not find the charges proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Mr Rees said Mr Kent acted in defense of his property after his ex-partner Lucy Kennedy took his phone after an argument.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Kent told the court that an argument over a bottle of wine contributed to the high-profile domestic violence allegations.

The rugby league presenter has consistently denied allegations that he assaulted and strangled his former partner.

Police said the 53-year-old assaulted his then-girlfriend following a domestic disturbance at his Lilyfield home in Sydney’s inner west in May.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Kent told the court he did not strangle the woman but admitted to a physical “struggle” over the sports reporter’s mobile phone.

Mr Kent said he was writing the column in his office when CCTV alerted him that the woman he had broken up with the night before had entered his yard.

Confronted with her in the hallway, Mr Kent said the woman demanded to see his phone “for answers” ​​after calling him “too heartless” to answer her messages.

Mr Kent told the court he told the woman “nothing was going on” and ordered her to leave the house before she grabbed his phone from the table.

A fight ensued between the pair, according to Mr Kent, who picked the woman up to spin her around and tried to snatch the phone from her hands.

After Kent fell to the floor struggling for the phone, Mr. Kent said the woman accused him of choking and assaulting her and said she would call the police.

Relationships are characterized by “mistrust”

In cross-examination, Mr Kent was questioned by the prosecutor about the pair’s on-again, off-again relationship, which he described as “categorized by mistrust”.

The Daily Telegraph and Fox Sports presenter told the court he believed the couple had largely broken up before she called him the day before the alleged incident.

“She asked if she could come and hug. I said, ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea’… we continued talking and she started crying even harder,” Mr Kent said.

The Fox host said he relented and told the woman to come before the couple had sex. He later said she protested when she opened the refrigerator.

“She saw a bottle of prosecco in the fridge. She said, “Whose the hell is this?” I had no idea… I said, ‘What are you talking about?'” Mr. Kent said.

Mr Kent said he invited staff from a nearby hotel to his home last Saturday but forgot a bottle of wine from a previous event.

After telling the woman the names of those who had come to the house, Mr Kent said he had decided to end the relationship, saying: “I’ve had enough.”

“This shows me that this (relationship) is not going to work. I’m done. I want you to leave. I know we’ve done this before, but that’s it. We’re done,” he said.

Mr Kent said he felt “relieved” after the breakup and continued to ignore text messages and phone calls from the woman until late that evening.

The court was told Mr Kent also told the woman they were “done” in March before she stayed overnight at his home again in April 2023.

Mr Kent also told the court about a previous argument in August 2022, when he said a woman ran down the street with his phone after an argument.

The sports reporter also said that after his arrest and while waiting to be transported to the police station, an officer told him that “the woman’s case is weak.”

“At one point, the officer opened the door and said, ‘I can’t give you any legal advice, but when they take you to the station, they’re going to ask you three things,'” he said.

“They will ask: do you want to do an interview, say no; If you choked her, say no. They will also ask you if you attacked her, say no.”

“If you refuse all three of these things, you will probably be let go because her (the woman’s) case is weak.” After that I said, “Thank you.”

Dispute over woman’s injuries

On the second and final day of the hearing, the court also heard evidence from a physiotherapist who reported “yellowish” bruises on the woman’s neck.

“There was evidence of injury given the yellowish bruising and swelling and the physical appearance of a neck with limited range of motion,” physiotherapist Stuart Mackay said.

“I have concluded that the injury was the result of a neck injury. Whether this is strangulation, I cannot say. But it was consistent with a neck injury.”

On Monday, the court was shown body-worn footage of Kent and the woman, who told officers the Fox host had his hands “on her throat.”

“I didn’t expect this to happen. I don’t want to ruin his life… He’s done this before and I gave him a second chance,” the woman said.

Mr Kent claimed he woke up to a signal on his CCTV system that a woman had entered his home through the back door after the couple had separated the previous evening.

“I didn’t hit her. “I didn’t hit her… She wasn’t in any danger… The only time I touched her was to try and get my phone back,” Mr Kent said.

He went on to accuse Kennedy of threatening to call the police in the past, which could have affected his work.

During the recording, a man identifying himself as “Kent’s boss at Fox Sports” arrived and spoke with officers at the scene.

Mr Kent was arrested at the scene and later taken to a nearby police station and charged with common assault and strangulation without consent.

In November, police added a third charge of assault causing bodily harm. Mr. Kent has pleaded not guilty to all three charges.