Russell Douglas Johnston acquitted of assault charges
A former footballer who has played for teams across Qld has cleared his name of several assault charges, following an alleged incident near the Cooloola Coast four years ago.
Police & Courts
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A former footballer has been cleared of assault charges stemming from 2018, following a three-day trial in the Gympie District Court.
Russell Douglas Johnston, 48, was found not guilty of two charges of common assault in a domestic setting and one charge of choking in a domestic setting.
Mr Johnston is from Kallangur and has previously played for rugby league teams across Queensland, including at Mareeba and Atherton.
He was originally found guilty of the charges before a jury in 2021, and sentenced to two years jail eligible for parole in February 2022. However, he successfully appealed the findings in December 2021.
He appeared before Judge Glen Cash in the Gympie District Court on November 14, 2022.
A fresh jury was selected for the retrial following his appeal.
The Crown presented its evidence to the jury in a closed courtroom, including witness statements and police interviews.
Mr Johnston’s defence team presented its arguments on Wednesday morning, November 16.
After a lengthy afternoon deliberation, the jury delivered its verdict late on Wednesday, November 16, finding Mr Johnston not guilty of all charges.
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Originally published as Russell Douglas Johnston acquitted of assault charges
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