Roger McCarthy, Neil Ivison in court over alleged train brawl
Two businessmen were in the unfamiliar surroundings of Newtown Local Court as they denied allegations that they were involved in a wild brawl on a Sydney train.
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Two businessmen have faced court charged with being involved in a brawl on a Sydney train.
Roger McCarthy, 40, from Balmain, and Neil Ivison, 43, from Leichhardt, sat side-by-side at Newtown Local Court on Thursday, both dressed in suits and carrying briefcases.
The pair’s lawyer told the court the pair would be pleading not guilty to the charges.
A third man Alexander Stacy, 26, named as a co-accused in court, previously pleaded guilty to the offence of affray.
He is currently in custody and is set to be sentenced on April 16.
McCarthy and Ivison allegedly got into a brawl with the third man on a train travelling from Newtown to Summer Hill, watched by young children, including a small girl accompanying the two men, and passengers across multiple carriages.
Court documents state that “police will allege that the offenders involved are equal participants to the affray and had ample opportunity to remove themselves from the incident”.
McCarthy, an ICT sales professional, works as an Account Director at NEC Australia.
About 7.15pm February 2, police made a public appeal for assistance as they investigated an alleged confrontation on a train in the inner west that day.
Police documents reveal, as a result of the fight, passengers had to flee the carriage to prevent being injured, and multiple passengers are seen on CCTV pushing the emergency button.
On February 12, McCarthy and Ivison were arrested at Newtown Police Station, where both were charged with affray.
Police allege in court documents that between 7.23pm and 7.40pm on February 2 at Lewisham, McCarthy and Ivison did use unlawful violence towards persons unknown and that such conduct would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety.
According to police documents, the incident was captured on CCTV and “clearly depicts the incident in its entirety”.
Both men were granted conditional bail to appear at Newtown Local Court today.
The matter has been adjourned until April 30.