Kian Wise: Nightcliff player could be out on bail next week after Christmas bashing

‘He’s the leading goal kicker in division two — if he kicked you in the head the head would have moved.’

• Six refused bail over Christmas Eve bashing

A NIGHTCLIFF Tigers player involved in a violent Mitchell St bashing on Christmas Eve that left a man naked, bleeding and unconscious on the ground could be out on bail within a week.

Kian Wise’s lawyer, Matt Hubber, told the Supreme Court his client was engaged in a “stand up fight” with the man but his involvement was “not in the same category” as that of the other attackers.

But Chief Justice Michael Grant said “that might be glossing it a bit”, saying footage of the incident showed Wise punching the man several times from behind “king hit style”.

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“At one point he appears to be choking the principal victim while he’s lying unconscious on the ground,” he said.

“Then after he’s been propped up on the kerb and had his pants and underpants pulled off, this applicant runs in and kicks him in the head.

Mr Hubber explained, in his view, the footage showed the kick had “clearly missed” and Wise wasn’t choking the man, but rather “he says he went down and tried to wake him up”.

“He’s the leading goal kicker in division two — if he kicked you in the head the head would have moved,” he said.

“If he’s kicked and he’s missed and he didn’t choke him, his only involvement was milling around the place while everyone else was getting stuck into the complainant while he’s on the ground.”

Nightcliff Tigers player Kian Wise's cousin, Anthony Walker, leaves the Supreme Court in Darwin following Wise's bail hearing on Thursday.

Mr Hubber said the beating was “abhorrent behaviour” but Wise would not be pleading guilty to intentionally causing serious harm there was a “real chance” he’d spend more time on remand than the length of any potential sentence if not granted bail.

“This is someone one who was out on a drunken evening and was involved in something extremely stupid,” he said.

“But also he wasn’t the man standing there stomping on this complainant’s head — fortunately for everybody the complainant made what seems to be a miraculous recovery.”

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Chief Justice Michael Grant ordered Wise be assessed for bail after his parents agreed to put up a $5000 surety and he will return to court on Tuesday.

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