Paul Kent’s alleged domestic violence victim makes bombshell claim about high-profile footy commentator in footage played to court
- The NRL journalist was sacked from his job earlier this year
- He faces a Sydney court hearing and has pleaded not guilty.
- Footage from police body cameras was seen at the hearing.
Author and rugby league broadcaster Paul Kent has been charged with strangling a woman who told officers she had “done this before”.
Kent, 54, has pleaded not guilty to assault and strangulation stemming from an alleged argument at a house in Sydney’s inner west in May.
The woman had been in an on-again, off-again relationship with the sports journalist for several months.
At a hearing at Downing Center Local Court on Monday, prosecutors played footage from cameras worn by police officers at the scene.
In the vision, filmed on the side of the road, a visibly upset woman told officers she and Kent had gotten into an argument during which she took his phone.
Kent (pictured on Fox Sports) has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and strangulation stemming from an alleged altercation at his Sydney home in May.
The 33-year-old woman said the journalist grabbed her by the arms and pushed her to the ground, and at some point put his hands on her throat.
When asked if she had difficulty breathing during the argument, the woman replied that she did.
Police photographed marks on the woman’s arm, elbow and chin that she said she suffered during the argument.
“He’s done this before and I gave him a chance,” she said in the video.
When police entered the house to question Kent about the allegations, he said she was “just being rude.”
He agreed that the couple had argued and that she had taken his phone.
Police bodycam footage of the former football pundit’s trial in Sydney court was shown on Monday.
He said that when he tried to take the phone from her, she fell backward “with her entire body.”
Although he accepted that he had grabbed her phone, he denied that any other assault had taken place.
“She makes up stuff… she threatens things like that all the time, she always threatens to call the police,” Kent said.
“I didn’t hit her, I didn’t do anything like that.”
Kent has been suspended from his roles at the Daily Telegraph and Fox Sports pending the trial and remains on bail.
The hearing continues before Magistrate Judge Daniel Reiss.