Manly star Dylan Walker charged with assault over alleged restaurant fight
Manly Sea Eagles star Dylan Walker has been charged with allegedly assaulting two men outside an Italian restaurant on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Police & Courts
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Resurrected NRL star Dylan Walker is facing fresh assault charges and a new threat to his playing future after his trip to get a pepperoni pizza for dinner allegedly ended in a fight.
Police will allege that Sea Eagles playmaker Walker, 26, had just picked up the pizza from the Little Italy Pizzeria on May Road, Narraweena, at 9pm on Sunday when the trouble began.
He allegedly tried to open the door of a car outside which belonged to a woman associated with the family-run restaurant.
One male is believed to have confronted Walker, then another, and a physical confrontation erupted.
“Police have been told that a man left the restaurant and attempted to enter the vehicle of a woman unknown to him, parked outside the restaurant,” police said in a statement.
At one point Walker is believed to have retreated back inside the restaurant before the altercation continued.
“When confronted, the man allegedly became aggressive and was allegedly involved in a physical altercation, assaulting two men before fleeing.”
Police caught up with Walker a short distance away from the restaurant and he was arrested. He was charged with two counts of common assault and granted police bail to front Manly Local Court on November 18.
It is another dramatic episode in the private life of Walker, who had domestic assault charges dropped last year and returned to the game, signing a new contract with Manly.
Manly chief executive Stephen Humphreys spoke with Walker, who was spending time with his family on Monday morning, but the club was not considering any decision on his playing future until it had all the facts.
Club officials were not commenting but Walker’s alleged behaviour “surprised” them given he has been described as “model citizen” this season, despite his past troubles.
One source close to the club said Walker had “taken great steps forward”, making the latest drama “unfortunate”.
The NRL confirmed it was aware of the incident.
“The Manly Sea Eagles have reported an alleged incident involving Dylan Walker to the Integrity Unit,” an NRL spokesman said.
“The Integrity Unit is liaising with both police and the club.”
Walker is due to enter the final year of his Sea Eagles contract next season.
His charges of common assault do not automatically trigger the NRL’s no-fault stand-down policy because they carry a sentence of less than 11 years, if proven.
The NRL does have discretionary powers to stand down Walker if it deems it appropriate but, given the 2021 season does not begin for another four months, the governing body will wait to see how the case plays out when Walker faces court.
The proprietor of the Little Italy Pizzeria, who asked not to be named, said a staff member “was pretty shaken up” following the alleged incident.
“He’s going to have a couple of weeks off,” the proprietor said.
