NRL legend Andrew Johns calls cops over alleged Bronte Beach “stalker”
The Newcastle Knights icon allegedly first encountered the 27-year-old man following him while surfing at Bronte Beach on March 29.
Police & Courts
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Exclusive: Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns has been forced to call in police after allegedly being repeatedly followed by a man around his local suburb of Bronte.
Johns, 49, allegedly first encountered the man while surfing at Bronte Beach on March 29, with police saying the NSW Blues legend was followed into the water and stared at him for a continued period.
When Johns got out of the water and went home, he then looked outside to allegedly find the same man pacing around on the footpath out the front.
The next day, March 30, the 27-year-old man allegedly found Johns at a local cafe, where he walked up and stood near him, before again staring at him for an extended time.
A concerned Johns then raised the alarm with NSW Police, who arrested the man on March 31 and charged him with one count of stalking.
“A man has been charged following an investigation by officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command into the alleged stalking of a 49-year-old man,” a NSW Police spokesperson said in a statement.
“On Sunday 31 March 2024, a 27-year-old man was charged with stalking and refused bail.
“He appeared before Parramatta Local Court yesterday (1 April 2024) and was granted bail.”
But when police went to check on the Bondi address the man was due to be residing at as part of his bail conditions that night, they allegedly found it did not exist.
The next morning at 9.50am police say they found the man on MacPherson St in Bronte and arrested him again, before charging him with a breach of bail.
That same day at Waverley Local Court, Magistrate Megan Heywood found the alleged breach of bail had occurred and remanded the man in custody, with his future court dates for the stalk/intimidate charge vacated so he could undergo a mental health assessment.
On top of the charge, police also applied for an apprehended personal violence order (APVO) for the protection of Johns.
The man is due to face court again on Thursday in relation to that AVO, the conditions of which include him being banned from assaulting, threatening or harassing Johns, as well as being unable to contact him.
Johns is regarded as one of the greatest rugby league players in the history of the game and was the eighth player to be named to the illustrious honour of “immortal”.
A star halfback for Newcastle, New South Wales and Australia, he moved into commentary for Channel 9 following his retirement.
When contacted by The Daily Telegraph on Sunday, Johns said: “Sorry mate it’s before the courts. Can’t comment”.
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