NRL player Matthew Lodge to face inquest over NY assault claims

DISGRACED NRL player Matthew Lodge will face an inquest by a New York court after a US judge ordered a civil case against the prop could proceed.

Pool photos show Australian Rugby player Matthew Lodge in court with his lawyer top Manhattan criminal lawyer Thomas Rotko. Picture: Alex Towle

DISGRACED football player Matthew Lodge will face an inquest by a New York court after a US judge ordered a civil case against the prop could proceed.

Lodge has failed to respond to a civil suit — believed to be seeking damages in excess of US$1 million — after an assault on a wild night out in New York last October.

The court will now be able to hear evidence against Lodge in his absence and assess damages despite the former West Tigers player’s failure to acknowledge the proceedings.

A date could be set this week after US District Judge Kimba Wood signed off on the order Monday New York time.

It comes after Lodge has failed to respond to a civil suit brought by the victims of his assault last year.

Today’s development means the court will likely hear detailed evidence of how Lodge’s assault has impacted his victims.

“We are eager to present evidence of Lodge’s damage to the court. We will try to get as much compensation for his victims as we can,” lawyer Jeanne Christensen said.

Last October, Lodge stalked two female victims through the streets to New York telling them “this is the night you’re going to die”.

The civil claim against Lodge says the victims suffer “injury, pain and suffering, serious psychological and emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation”.

He chased them to an apartment building, where New York local Joseph Cartright came to the assistance of the women, letting them in the complex.

Lodge then attacked Cartright, before locking himself inside Cartright’s apartment with the man’s wife Ruth Fowler and trashing the home.

Lodge is due to be sentenced via Skype this year on criminal charges after pleading guilty to reckless assault.