Robert Alan Eddy: Former AFL player has assault charges withdrawn

The former AFL player has had allegations he punched, strangled and taunted his ex lover with a screwdriver sensationally withdrawn.

Robert Eddy had maintained his innocence.

A former AFL player has had allegations of a brutal attack on his lover sensationally

withdrawn after a series of missteps saw the first hearing aborted and the complainant too traumatised to give evidence in court a second time.

Robert Alan Eddy last year faced a contested hearing where his alleged victim fought back tears as she told how she was scared for her life when the 1.82m tall ex-St Kilda midfielder overpowered her, punching and strangling her at her Clarinda home in January 2020.

Mr Eddy, 35, from South Yarra, vehemently denied the allegations and claimed he was defending himself when she attacked him.

Her swollen black eye was sustained in a drunken fall, he said.

But in what would set in motion a sequence of events that would lead to the prosecution case having to be dropped, magistrate Stephen Lee, in July, recused himself from presiding over the matter after declaring he was a Saints member and took his sons to every game.

Mr Lee did not do this until midway through the hearing at Moorabbin Magistrates Court and after the complainant had testified.

Former St Kilda footballer Robert Eddy cwas due to face a contested hearing.

The rare move meant the two-day hearing was rescheduled for November before magistrate Luisa Bazzani, who apologised to Mr Eddy for the inconvenience and remarked she was a Carlton fan and would remain impartial.

But the Herald Sun can reveal that weeks before the hearing was due to return, the prosecution applied to the court to strike out all of the charges.

A police spokeswoman confirmed the case was dropped against Mr Eddy after “the complainant signed a statement of no complaint”.

It is understood the complainant was too traumatised and did not want to have to return to court to give her evidence again.

The prosecution had pushed for the recording of the complainant’s evidence, given before Mr Lee, to be simply played to the court for the re-hearing.

Mr Eddy’s legal team did not oppose the move.

But Ms Bazzani refused on learning it had only recorded the sound and not the video.

“I think that it is important for me to view the witness,” she said.

“I’m the one who has to adjudicate beyond any doubt whether or not what she says is preferential beyond any doubt to other evidence.

“I can’t do that if I can’t see her.

Robert Eddy has had charges relating to an alleged assault on his partner dropped. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

“I am sorry for the complainant that she will have to give that evidence again.”

The complainant was visibly upset when she first gave her evidence, describing how Mr Eddy used his fist to punch her in the eye, before later taunting her with a screwdriver.

“The next thing I remember I was on the floor and he was sitting on top of me,” she said.

“He put his hands around my throat. He tried choking me. I couldn’t breathe.”

Mr Eddy, in a statement via law firm Balmer & Associates, maintained his innocence.

He said he had fully co-operated with the police investigation following what he described as “an incident with my former partner”.

“Immediately after the incident I remained at the scene and spoke to police,” he said.

“I denied any wrongdoing, denied hitting the complainant, explained to police that I had been attacked as I tried to leave and told police at all times I was acting in self-defence.”

During an interview with police the day after the January 23 incident, he said he “reiterated the version I gave to police the day before”.

“I showed police the injuries that I suffered during the incident,” Mr Eddy said.

He said he sought treatment for those injuries at The Alfred hospital on January 25.

“On 26 October 2022 the charges against me were withdrawn by the prosecution after the complainant advised police she wished to withdraw her complaint,” he said.

“I have fully co-operated with police throughout the investigation. I have always maintained my innocence in respect of this matter.

“The matter has now concluded and I have no further comment to make.”

Mr Eddy played 33 games for the Saints between 2007 and 2011, including the 2010 Grand Final and replay.

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