NRL star Curtis Scott pleads not guilty to police assault charges
Troubled NRL star Curtis Scott, who allegedly kicked and punched Sydney police after drunken Australia Day celebrations turned sour, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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Embattled rugby league star Curtis Scott has denied bashing police during a drunken Australia Day row in Sydney, and his lawyer has vowed to defend the charges “to the last breath.”
The 22-year-old centre fell asleep in bushes opposite the Sydney Cricket Ground before allegedly kicking and punching officers around 1am on Monday, but a source close to Scott claims he was handcuffed while snoozing and then tasered.
The Canberra Raiders recruit’s lawyer Danny Eid entered not guilty pleas to six charges at Downing Centre Local Court on Friday, including assaulting constable Belle Holden and senior constable Christopher Bucknell and resist officer in execution of duty.
Mr Eid flagged serious concern about the way officers conducted themselves, saying they “completely misunderstood their powers.”
“There will be significant allegations of misconduct by police,” he told The Daily Telegraph outside court.
“We will be relying upon the police body-worn footage to challenge much of their assertions. We will defend this to the last breath.”
That videotape and security footage may be crucial to Scott’s future playing career with senior officers satisfied correct arresting procedure was followed.
Police allege Scott spent a boozy day partying at CBD club Ivy before passing out in bushes near the Olympic Hotel on Driver Ave in Moore Park.
The young gun allegedly attacked one of the officers who tried to wake him and threw a phone at a car before he was tasered and spent the night behind bars.
Scott’s bail conditions were relaxed on Friday, deleting a ban on him entering the Moore and Centennial Park precincts unless accompanied by his coach Ricky Stuart.
The Raiders are furious Scott, who recently joined from Melbourne Storm, is already in strife with the club having previously torn up the contracts of bad boys Todd Carney and Josh Dugan for off-field antics.
"It pisses me off but I have to wait until I hear his side of the story," Mr Stuart said on Monday.
Both Canberra and the code’s integrity unit are investigating with NRL boss Todd Greenberg expected to recommend sanctions at an Australian Rugby League Commission board meeting next week.
While the charges do not automatically trigger the NRL’s no-fault stand down policy, Mr Greenberg has the discretionary power to ban Scott from playing until the matter is resolved in the courts.
It is understood Scott’s teammates had helped him into a cab to send him back to the hotel where the group were staying, and it’s claimed he had lost his phone earlier in the night.
He and fellow Raiders players George Williams, Sam Humphreys, John Bateman, Elliott Whitehead, Jack Murchie and Ryan Sutton were all tagged on Instagram posts partying at hot spots including Bondi’s The Bucket List over the weekend.
Scott also had drama on Saturday night when he was stopped outside the Clovelly Hotel by police doing random drug searches but they found nothing on him.