George Calombaris has A-League assault conviction overturned
MASTERCHEF host George Calombaris has apologised for damaging the sport he “absolutely loves” after his conviction for assaulting a teenager at the A-League grand final was overturned by a Sydney court.
NSW
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MASTERCHEF host George Calombaris has apologised for damaging the sport he “absolutely loves” after his conviction for assaulting a teenager at the A-League grand final was overturned by a Sydney court.
The restaurateur was fined $1000 after pleading guilty in Downing Centre Local Court in October for assaulting a then 19-year-old at the A-League grand final between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory in Sydney.
But Judge Andrew Scotting overturned the conviction today after agreeing with Calombaris’s lawyer that the 39-year-old had suffered significant financial and personal loss and was unlikely to re-offend.
“The process has given me significant cause for self-reflection and I know that, as a result, I’m definitely a better person for it and hopefully a role model for people out there,” Calombaris told reporters outside the NSW District Court.
His lawyer, David Edwardson, told the appeal hearing Calombaris had lost $750,000 in endorsements after Bulla Dairy and ULR Land Rover severed ties with him.
Calombaris was being heckled by fans following the grand final in May and believed his victim had called his mother a “c***”, Mr Edwardson said. The restaurateur exchanged words with the 19-year-old before punching him in the abdomen.
Calombaris told the judge he was deeply remorseful for his actions and he had stood down from his role as Victory’s number one ticket holder and banned himself from attending football games in Australia for 12 months. The court heard Calombaris donates generously to three charities and had no prior convictions.
Judge Scotting said Calombaris was of “exceptional character” and set aside the conviction and placed him on a 12-month good behaviour bond. “He is largely rehabilitated already in respect of this particular incident,” he said.
Calombaris’s actions were spontaneous and the blow was “not very forceful”. Outside court Calombaris said he was relieved the ordeal was over. “I also want to reiterate my apologies to Melbourne Victory football club and Football Federation Australia for any impact of my actions on the reputation of the sport that I absolutely love,” he said.