Andrew Wagner: Elite tennis coach headbutted restaurant manager before resisting arrest

An elite tennis coach who headbutted a restaurant manager before resisting arrest and saying “I know my rights” has been told by a magistrate he has “demons to battle”.

Andrew Wagner leaving Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.

An elite tennis coach, who has coached some of the best players in the world, headbutted a restaurant manager before resisting arrest in the city.

Andrew Wagner, 43, appeared at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to behaving in an offensive manner, resisting police, failing to leave premises when required and drug possession.

Agreed facts reveal police received a report that Wagner had assaulted a person at Lilong by Taste of Shanghai in Haymarket on an evening in February.

Police found Wagner with a female nearby where he was cautioned and questioned about the assault – which he denied.

He was arrested with police reviewing CCTV.

It showed Wagner speaking with numerous staff and after being told there was no table available he became “quarrelsome”, agreed facts state.

After being asked to leave, Wagner headbutted the manager’s face before being escorted out by staff.

Andrew Wagner was convicted of four offences on Wednesday.

He re-entered multiple times and was argumentative with staff and became “physically aggressive” outside the restaurant.

During his arrest, Wagner refused to co-operate with being searched and said “take me to the station, I know my rights”.

He then resisted arrest when being walked to the police car and dropped his weight to the ground while again refusing to co-operate with directions.

Wagner continued to prevent officers from arresting him before he was put in the caged police car.

During a search of his property, police found a small plastic bottle of the drug GBL and he was taken to Day Street police station.

Wagner’s lawyer told the court on Wednesday his client worked as an elite tennis coach and had multiple facilities across Sydney.

He said his client had coached three players who had once been in the top 100 in the world.

The lawyer said Wagner “had a small amount to drink” that night and it may have been impacted by his medication along with financial issues with a business partner.

The court heard Wagner was working on recognising his emotions before acting on them.

Magistrate Robyn Denes said while “on the face of it” he would appear to be a successful person in “how society measures success” she believed he had “demons to battle”.

“Imagine if every time you went to coach people … [there was always] tantrums … or being sworn at or abused … you wouldn’t put up with it,” she told Wagner.

“Yet we expect … police to put up with it.”

Wagner was ultimately convicted of all offences and placed on a 12 month community correction order for resisting police and behaving in an offensive manner.