Footy Show star Sam Newman slammed by magistrate who said he had 'jerked around' court in road rage case

A MAGISTRATE has slammed Footy Show star Sam Newman, saying he had "jerked around" the court in his road rage case.

A MAGISTRATE has slammed Footy Show star Sam Newman, saying he had "jerked around" the court in his road rage case.

Newman opted to face a possible trial on a $300 criminal damage charge, which could have instead been heard in the Magistrates' Court quickly and at less cost.

But today the former Geelong player irked Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg by changing his mind and asking for the case to now stay in the lower court.

Newman still wants to fight allegations he deliberately slammed his car door into a hire car parked beside his in Middle Park last July.

It's alleged that the female driver of the rental car had scraped Newman's door, so he abused her then banged his own door into her car as she walked off.

Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard the woman didn't see Newman's alleged actions but three people nearby - including a barrister - saw the whole incident.

The car, owned by Thrifty Car Rentals, cost $302 to repair.

Newman's charges of criminal damage and using insulting words could have been challenged in the Magistrates' Court and decided by a magistrate.

But in February Newman exercised his right to have a jury trial at the County Court if it was decided he had a case to answer.

The controversial footy personality didn't appear today but his lawyer told the magistrate Newman, 64, no longer wanted to go to trial.

"The processes of the court have been quite frankly jerked around," Mr Rozencwajg said.

He sent Newman's lawyers and solicitors for the Office of Public Prosecutions away to try and resolve the case.

They decided that the criminal damage charge would be dropped but a lesser count of wilfully damaging property would go ahead as a contested hearing.

Charges of using insulting words and not parking completely within a parking bay were also adjourned to the hearing date in July.