High-profile rugby league television personality Paul Kent has launched proceedings against News Corp over his dismissal after a late-night street brawl in Sydney’s inner west.
Kent, who co-hosted the program NRL 360 on Fox Sports and wrote for the Daily Telegraph, pleaded guilty to affray over the incident in which a stranger propelled him into a roadside tree. A magistrate placed him on a two-year good behaviour bond.
Paul Kent pleaded guilty at Downing Centre Local Court in July.Credit: Kate Geraghty
News Corp’s The Australian reported two days before he fronted Downing Centre Local Court that he had “parted ways” with the media company.
The 54-year-old is challenging the manner of his termination with an application to the Fair Work Commission scheduled for a hearing in Sydney next week.
The application, which pits Kent against Nationwide News, a subsidiary of News Corp, is to “deal with contraventions involving dismissal”. It has been filed under Section 365 of the Fair Work Act, which concerns disputes over dismissals.
Unfair dismissal cases before the Fair Work Commission first go to confidential conciliation and then progress to arbitration in the form of a hearing if that fails.
Kent’s employment lawyer, Henry Coventry, declined to comment on Wednesday. Kent and News Corp were also contacted for comment.
The dispute over his exit from the media giant indicates the polarising commentator is intent on going down swinging.
There were signs that all had been far from well in the relationship between Kent and News Corp when he faced court over the alcohol-fuelled altercation that derailed his career.
George Elias, the solicitor representing Kent in that matter, told the court in July that his employer had provided him “no help” when he was charged last year and ultimately cleared of a domestic violence offence.
Kent was stood down by News Corp during the seven months in which he defended that charge and was not paid his normal salary while suspended, Elias told this masthead.
He was also not provided with counselling last year or paid his usual salary while stood down after the fight this year, Elias said.
“He did his job 100 per cent. Daylight was second to him in terms of his performance [on NRL 360]. It was much more watchable [with him],” Elias said.
“As a human being, I would have thought that [for] a person that has given loyal service for over 22 years, the employer would show a little more compassion when the person is not guilty.”
Elias previously told a court that Kent had turned to alcohol to cope after facing domestic violence allegations that he always denied. The court heard he had consumed 21 schooners of beer on the day he clashed with another man, Tamer Uzun, outside the Three Weeds Hotel in Rozelle in April.
He had been drinking nearby at his favourite watering hole, the Sackville Hotel, throughout the afternoon before passing the Three Weeds on the way back to his home in Lilyfield.
According to police documents read out by magistrate Jennifer Price in July, Kent was reacting to a taunt from the 35-year-old that “you like to bash women” when he approached Uzun, removing his watch and cocking his fists before coming to blows with him.
Kent, who was left with injuries including broken ribs when he was then lobbed into a tree, had sought to have the charge of affray dealt with on mental health grounds after seeking treatment for alcohol problems and a major depressive disorder.
That application was unsuccessful, although he avoided having a formal conviction recorded.
Uzun has pleaded not guilty to affray, and his lawyer asked for the charge to be dropped by police.
He is next due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on August 21.
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