Sam Burgess’ explosive claims against father-in-law revealed in court

The first person Sam Burgess called after a blowup with his father-in-law was a well-known adviser and “fix-it man”. Phoebe reached out to three people before dialling triple-0. SEE WHO THEY CALLED

The first person Sam Burgess called after a blowup with his father-in-law was well-known Sydney adviser and “fix-it man” Anthony Bell.

And his ex-wife Phoebe Burgess called three people, including a lawyer and media Adviser, before calling triple-0 after a blowup between her ex and her father, which was described as “top shelf treatment” in court.

Senior Sergeant Palmer said Burgess called Adviser and accountant Bell on the way home from Mitchell Hooke’s Bowral home on October 19.

“He’s a fix-it man. Mr Bell is the person that is called when there are difficulties with persons in the media,” she told the court.

Burgess replied: “He’s actually my friend.”

He stayed with the CEO of Bell Partners in his luxury Dover Heights mansion during his separation from Ms Burgess.

The court heard he then called family solicitor Sheridan Emerson.

He denied calling Corporate Affairs Adviser Stuart Barton, who specialises in reputation and issues management, after being shown his phone records.

“You didn’t recall calling that person?” Senior Sergeant Palmer asked.

“I don’t know the company. I don’t know the person, I don’t know who it is,” Burgess responded.

The court heard Ms Burgess called a media adviser and lawyer before calling triple-0.

“There were many calls. They were lawyered up and PR’d up from the get go,” Burgess’ barrister Phillip Boulten SC told the court.

“This is an unusual phenomenon. This is not the way things usually occur. This is top shelf treatment.”

‘YOU’RE A BAD PERSON, MITCH’

Explosive text messages between NRL star Sam Burgess and his ex-wife Phoebe have been aired in court, exposing the pair’s ugly separation.

The ex-Rabbitoh’s captain, 31, gave evidence in Moss Vale Court on Friday, supported by his mother Julie Burgess, as he fights charges related to the argument with Mitchell Hooke.

Phoebe Burgess’ father Mitch Hooke.

Sam Burgess arrives at Moss Vale court. Picture: John Grainger

He previously pleaded not guilty to one charge of intimidation and a back-up charge of assault stemming from the disagreement at Mr Hooke’s Bowral home in October 2019.

It happened during a visit to see his children — an arrangement organised with ex-wife Phoebe Burgess following their separation.

The court heard Burgess messaged his ex-wife at the end of the visit saying: “You’re still not home — great parenting”.

Ms Burgess responded: “You are a pig … You’re an absolute low life. How dare you. We are done — at least two people have now seen who you really are you f***,” she said.

Burgess said he wrote a text to another Hooke family member after Ms Burgess blocked his number, which said: “You guys are all the same. Your dad does exactly what you do, following me around provoking me. It was exactly like you.”

Burgess’ barrister Phillip Boulton SC told the court the magistrate must accept his client told Mr Hooke: “I’m going to get you”, for the charges to be proven.

“If that fails and you are not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt … all you get is two grown men arguing at the end of a visitation,” Mr Boulton said.

Phoebe Burgess with her father Mitch Hooke.

Phoebe and Sam Burgess in 2018.

Moss Vale Local Court Magistrate Robert Babbidge is reserving his decision until February 5.

An interim apprehended violence order was issued by the police on behalf of Mr Hooke, the former CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia.

Burgess said he took the kids for a lake-side picnic on a two-hour visit at 2pm on October 19, 2019.

They returned to the house and watched TV in the living room, before Ms Burgess messaged him to leave the house.

“Can you please head off … I’m not up to seeing you today, please understand,” Ms Burgess said in a text.

Mr Hooke then walked through the kitchen and said “time’s up”, Burgess told the court.

“I told Mitch I thought this was inhumane. I said I think he knows there’s better ways to do it,” he said.

Burgess claimed he remained calm in the house but Mr Hooke claimed he became angry.

“I said: ‘Mitch, I think you’re a bad person, inside and out. That’s why Phoebe is the way she is’.”

Mitch Hooke, Sam Burgess and Phoebe Burgess pictured in 2015.

Senior Sergeant Jamie Palmer told the court Burgess was far more angry during the incident than he had made out.

She told the court Burgess was six foot one and “much taller than Mr Hooke”.

“You were being told what to do with your children — that made you mad,” she said.

Burgess responded: “I was calm but I was angry”.

She put it to Burgess that he called his father-in-law a “piece of s***” and a “s***-house grandfather” inside the home.

Burgess replied: “That’s incorrect … I never raised my voice inside the house”, but admitted he did say those things outside.

Senior Sergeant Palmer told the court Burgess started yelling at Mr Hooke 20cm from his face.

“You then raised your hand and were yelling at him. F*** you, I’m going to get you. You’ve done this. You’ve orchestrated this,” which Burgess denied.

He agreed Mr Hooke asked him: “You’re going to hit me, you’re going to hit a 64-year-old man?” But he said this happened outside.

The prosecution claimed Burgess responded: “Yes, I’m going to get you”, before Mr Hooke replied: “They’re going to put you away for that”.

He denied this happened.

Sam Burgess and Phoebe at the 2016 Dally M Awards. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty

Burgess told the court Mr Hooke followed him out of the house and abused him.

“I put the pram in the boot of my car. He said: ‘You could have had all this’, and I said: ‘All of what? I don’t want that. It’s all fake’,” Burgess told the court.

“He said: ‘F**k you Sam’. I returned the serve. I said: ‘F**k you Mitch, you’re a piece of shit’,”

Burgess said his ex father-in-law told him: “Nobody loves you. Your own family doesn’t love you. We loved you, and you threw it all away.”

Burgess said he responded: “You’re a bad person, Mitch. No one in this town likes you”.

He said Mr Hooke told him: “I’m going to make sure I ruin your career, if it’s the last thing I do”.

Senior Sergeant Palmer told the court Harriet, Ms Burgess’s sister, could hear Burgess screaming from a nearby barn and came out to see him “red-faced” and angry.

Burgess said he was contacted by police that night after he drove back to Sydney.

He said police told him threats were made but he responded: “If anything it’s the other way around”.

Burgess had four mid-strength schooners at the Royal Hotel Bowral for an hour-and-a-half before his visit. But he told the court he was sober.

SAM’S RELATIONS WITH HOOKE NOT ALWAYS BAD

The relationship between ex-South Sydney captain Sam Burgess and his father-in-law was scrutinised in court.

Prosecutor Jamie Palmer refuted Mr Burgess’ claim he just “tolerated” his father-in-law for the sake of his ex-wife.

He told Moss Vale Local Court on Friday the pair did not have a good ­relationship.

Senior Sergeant Palmer asked Burgess: “When you’re being polite, do you send text messages with Xs and ‘I love yous’? “Yes, I do,” he ­responded. Burgess admitted in court he did partially blame Mr Hooke for his relationship breakdown.

The court heard the pair had an emotive discussion on Wednesday, October 16, 2009, at the Bowral home before their blow-up later that week.

Burgess told the court he was half way down the driveway when he heard a whistle.

“Mitch directed me into his garage, tool shed, just off the main house. He pulled up a few chairs. We started to have a chat,” he said.

Burgess said he wanted to tell Mr Hooke he appreciated him letting him see his children at the property.

“At certain points he spoke of ­reconciliation between me and ­Phoebe,” Burgess said.

“I assured him we’d been trying for 18 months and it just wasn’t working out.”

Burgess told the court the conversation “took a turn”.

“We went completely off topic from me and Phoebe and he made comments about the NRL judiciary system,” Burgess said.

Burgess was hit with a fine in 2019 after describing it as a “kangaroo court”.

He said Mr Hooke wanted to manage the situation for him.

“Mitch reminded me he was the person that took down the Kevin Rudd government,” Burgess told the court.

“He thought he could manage my comments about the judiciary a lot better.”

Texts between the pair tendered to the court showed they have not always been in disagreement.

In one text, Burgess wrote: “Great stuff Mitchy boy. Thank you so much for coming down.”

And in another he said: “Hey mitch just wanted to reach out and open the lines of conversation. I am grateful for today and appreciate its not easy. I am around for a chat ­together before I drive to Sydney today. However, totally understand if you don’t want to and wouldn’t be upset if you declined. Always available to chat, Cheers Sam.”