David Warner awarded $420k in legal battle with batting sponsor Spartan Sports

He has just been part of a winning Australian team and now David Warner has had another big victory - this time against a former sponsor.

David Warner has sued his former batting sponsor for more than $420,000 after the sporting goods company failed to pay him.

Northern Beaches-based Spartan Sports trumpeted the signing of Warner in 2018 when he joined a growing number of high-profile international cricketers – including former Australian captain Michael Clarke and ­Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar – signing multi-year deals with the company.

But that year the company began collapsing with millions in debt, with creditors forcing one of the companies used to run the sporting goods operation into liquidation.

On Tuesday, Warner – who is in England playing in the Ashes series – was awarded $422,727 in the Sydney District Court in his lawsuit over unpaid sponsorship fees against two of the companies used to run Spartan Sports.

Judge Matthew Dicker SC told the court the two companies, Spartan Sport Corporation and SS Management (Australia), were to pay Warner $382,940 as the base amount claimed by the 36-year-old batsman. They were also ordered to pay $39,786 in interest that had been accruing since Warner launched the case in 2022.

David Warner with a Spartan cricket bat.

Warner is still suing Ben Carberry, 49, from Manly who acted as a representative of Spartan in the negotiations with Warner.

“Spartan still hasn‘t paid us,” Warner’s manager James Erskine said. “We decided with David to go after them in court. The next stage if they don’t pay the money is putting Spartan under.”

Mr Carberry did not appear in court on Tuesday and has not filed a defence with the court.

On May 25, Mr Carberry was bankrupted in the Federal Court of Australia by a Sydney CBD-based loan and mortgage company run by Mosman man Paul Myliotis, court records said.

Warner would later sign with DSC. Picture: Pat Elmont - ECB/ECB via Getty Images

The director of the two companies sued by Warner is Northern Beaches businessman Leslie Galbraith.

The Sunday Telegraph has emailed Mr Galbraith via Spartan Sports for comment.

Mr Carberry could not be reached.

It continues a terrible run of outs for Spartan.

Sachin Tendulkar was also caught up in a legal battle with the Spartan brand. Picture: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images

In 2020, Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar settled his lawsuit with Spartan after claiming the company failed to pay him $3.1 million in royalties for use of his image, logo and for promotional services.

Warner first used one of the company’s bats in the Canadian T20 competition while serving a 12-month suspension for his role in the ball- tampering scandal that became known as Sandpapergate.

After Spartan’s financial dramas, Warner switched to a deal with DSC bats in September 2021.

Clarke signed a six-figure sponsorship deal with Spartan in 2012, days after he famously hit a triple-ton with a sponsor-free bat at the SCG.

The company was founded and run by Clarke’s friend, Wollongong entrepreneur Kunar Sharma. Mr Sharma was not involved or a defendant in Warner’s court case.

A number of companies used to run Spartan were put into liquidation in May 2018 owing millions to creditors.

According to business records, there are a number of different companies used to run Spartan.

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