Melbourne TV journos in court ‘contact’

Nine Network reporter Seb Costello has apologised after a clash outside a Melbourne court resulted in allegations of “contact” with Seven News reporter Sharnelle Vella.

Seb Costello returned to Melbourne last year after a stint as Europe correspondent. Picture: Tony Gough

Two rival stations’ Melbourne journalists — including Nine network reporter Seb Costello — were allegedly caught up in unintentional “contact” outside court.

Costello allegedly collided with Seven News reporter Sharnelle Vella outside Melbourne Magistrates’ court.

The incident unfolded as journalists crowded around Georgia May Gibson, who had just been cleared of sharing an explicit video of Dane Swan.

One person at the scene told the Herald Sun as Costello jostled for position, he gave Vella a “fair old hip and shoulder” and also had a run-in with the Seven cameraman.

Sharnelle Vella.

One source said Vella kept to her feet, while another said she collided with a pole after the clash.

But it’s understood that footage of the event confirms there was “nothing intentional” in Costello’s actions.

“It wouldn’t be called a hip and shoulder,” a Channel 9 source said. “But there was some contact.”

The source said Costello’s actions were “not irrational behaviour” as some had claimed.

They confirmed Costello had already texted an apology to Vella. It is understood he later followed up outside court expressing his sorrow in person.

The reporter herself was ready to move along last night, telling the Herald Sun: “Seb apologised and that’s the end of it”.

After the Herald Sun reported the incident online on Thursday afternoon, Costello took to the airwaves to discuss the matter. He characterised the incident as a “clash”.

But Costello said Vella kept her feet and the attention “was more about the unexpectedness of it”.

Georgia Gibson leaves Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. Picture: AAP

Costello was Nine’s European Correspondent. Picture: Sarah Matray

“I should have had more awareness and I’ve apologised for that,” he told the ABC. “And I am sorry I wish it didn’t happen like that.”

“Sometimes in the middle of covering stories you kind of lose your sense of where you are because you get a bit blinkered and that happened this morning.”

“I was covering the (Nelly) Yoa story and the lady who was accused of distributing a video of Dane Swan in bed left court and I raced over to try and cover that.”

“And in the process I have clashed with a reporter from Channel 7 who I respect and who I consider a friend — Sharnelle Vella — who is an incredible reporter, and I see the Herald Sun have reported on that.”

Earlier in the day a Nine spokesman said Costello had “accidentally brushed a another reporter” in the incident.

The two reporters go back a long way, with Vella attending Costello’s Hawthorn wedding to partner Bree Janes in January this year.

In 2017, Costello — the son of former Treasurer Peter Costello who now chairs Nine — was sent home from Spain after a series of unrelated incidents.

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