Former Richmond Tiger Daniel Connors convicted over Echuca pub attack
DISGRACED former AFL player Daniel Connors left a man with a severed tendon in his hand after violently attacking him at a hotel in Echuca.
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DISGRACED former AFL player Daniel Connors left a man with a severed tendon in his hand after violently attacking him at a hotel in Echuca.
Connors, who played 29 games for Richmond between 2007 and 2012 before being sacked for off-field troubles, yesterday pleaded guilty in Echuca Magistrates Court to reckless conduct endangering serious injury and failing to leave a licensed premises.
The court heard the incident occurred about 1am on March 28 when the 27-year-old confronted another man in the Shamrock Hotel over a previous incident involving the man and Connors’ girlfriend.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Dave Rennie said Connors jumped on to a table and smashed a beer glass on it.
Fragments caused significant cuts to the victim’s hand.
He said Connors then tried punching the victim twice, despite the man telling him he did not want to fight.
‘‘Connors then threatened to smash the victim in two, before threatening security and resisting their attempts to remove him from the venue,’’ Sen-Const. Rennie said.
‘‘The victim suffered a severed tendon to his knuckle and required surgery to remove glass from his hand.’’
Little more than two hours after the violent attack, Connors sent a Facebook message to the victim apologising for the incident and offering to pay any medical costs.
Defence lawyer Grant Reynolds said the attack stemmed from two days earlier when the victim allegedly assaulted Connors’ girlfriend.
‘‘It is not an excuse for his behaviour but it is some sort of explanation,’’ he said.
Magistrate Peter Mithen said the charges were too serious to avoid a conviction.
He fined Connors $4000 and told the ex-footballer he was lucky to avoid spending time in jail.
Riverine Herald