NRL star describes being hit with ‘barrage of punches’ by cops
A rugby league player told a court he was king hit in the back of the head before a police officer struck him with a “barrage of punches”.
NRL
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NRL star Tom Starling described being punched in the face repeatedly by a police officer before he lost consciousness during a massive melee at a Central Coast bar which involved the riot squad.
The Canberra Raiders hooker, 24, and his brothers Jackson, 26, and Josh, 21, fronted Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday over their alleged roles in a violent brawl at the Shady Palms hotel on December 5, 2020.
Police allege Tom and Jackson resisted police in the execution of their duty by grabbing officers, which the brothers have denied.
Their brother Josh has denied three counts of resisting police and one charge of common assault. A fourth man, Jesse Byrne, also pleaded not guilty to hindering police.
The violent melee allegedly took place when the Starling brothers were out with friends and family to celebrate a 21st birthday party at the hotel in Avoca Beach.
The court heard yesterday the altercation began when a security guard allegedly called the Starling matriarch a “f***ing slut” and Josh leapt angrily to her defence.
On Thursday, the court heard Tom saw his brother Josh being detained by security guards from his vantage point on the venue stage. When he stepped down onto the ground, he said he was “king hit to the head”.
“I come (sic) down onto the floor and my head was shoved forward,” he told the court.
“I copped maybe three, four uppercuts in a short burst and I was driven backwards.”
The Canberra Raiders hooker said he was unable to see who was hitting him because he was covering his face, until he “poked (his) head up” and saw a police officer was responsible.
Witness Oscar Mitchell told the court he saw the police pull Tom off the stage and onto the ground, where they hit him repeatedly.
CCTV footage played to the court shows the NRL star being punched in the face repeatedly by a riot officer as a crush of people fight around them.
A riot officer can be seen in the footage grabbing Tom and continuing to hit him in the face while he stumbles backwards.
“I knew I gotta keep my head up because I gotta see these blokes coming,” Tom told the court.
“A barrage of punches and elbows come my way and one of them hits me flush and knocks me unconscious.”
As a professional NRL player, Tom said he was familiar with the feeling of being concussed. He said he was left feeling dazed and there were gaps in his memory from the “head trauma”.
Footage from a police camera worn by police that evening reveals his father cried out in panic that police were badly hurting his son.
“They’re killing him,” Mr Starling was heard yelling in the footage played to the court.
In the video, police can be heard shouting at partygoers to stand back and suggesting anyone who comes near will be arrested.
Tom’s co-accused, Jesse Byrne, said he was making his way towards the NRL star when a police officer shouted at him to stand back.
He said he saw “a bit of commotion going on” and warned Sydney Roosters player Connor Watson to leave the party “to protect his reputation” as an NRL player before trying to do the same for Tom.
“I just saw Tom getting rammed from a huddle towards the stage area and this big dude had him by the scruff of his neck,” Mr Byrne said.
He explained he saw the large police officer drive his fist into Tom’s face repeatedly so his head snapped back.
“They were massive punches. Very forceful,” Mr Byrne told the court.
“Tom had his hands by his sides.”
The young man said he tried to protect the Canberra Raiders hooker by putting up his arm to shield them both.
He said the next thing he knew, he’d been “blindsided” by a hit to his jaw.
“I felt a pretty big blow to the right side of my head and the next thing I can remember is (that) I was looking down,” Mr Byrne said.
He felt he was “in danger” and “vulnerable” when he surged forwards to try to release himself from whoever was holding him, he said.
The pair collided with something and then he found himself on the ground with someone on top of him, holding a can directly in front of his face.
Mr Byrne told the court saw the mist coming from the can only 20cms away from his face.
“(It was) the worst amount of pain I’ve ever had in my life,” he said.
“I figured it out pretty quick (that it was pepper spray). I couldn’t see and had massive amounts of pain.”
The court heard he was unable to see and was pinned to the ground, which was covered in broken glass while he felt someone rifle through his pockets.
“I thought I was being robbed,” he said while admitting he swore at the people touching his belongings.
His eyes were still swollen shut when he was bundled into the covered police wagon, Mr Byrne told the court.
“I opened my own eyes and I was in a pool of my own blood,” he said.
“I got pretty scared after that.”
The court was told he required stitches for injuries to his arm and sustained bruising and swelling on his jaw and head.
The police prosecution and defence will begin to submit their closing arguments on Monday before Magistrate Daniel Covington.
Originally published as NRL star describes being hit with ‘barrage of punches’ by cops
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