‘Going to bash me’: Big win for other man in Paul Kent brawl

The other man who was involved in a brawl with rugby league journalist Paul Kent outside a Sydney inner west restaurant has had his charge dismissed.

The other man involved in a wild brawl with Paul Kent has had his charges dismissed after he told a court he was afraid the rugby league journalist and commentator was going to “bash” him during a now-infamous incident outside a Sydney restaurant.

Tamer Uzun, 37, on Monday had one charge of affray dismissed after he appeared at a Manly Local Court hearing stemming from his altercation with Kent outside Totti’s Rozelle in April last year.

In footage which quickly went viral on social media, Kent pushed past several people before trading blows with Mr Uzun on the public street, with the fight ending when Kent was thrown into a tree.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Adrian Walsh argued Mr Uzun threw punches, failed to de-escalate the incident when he continued to trade verbal barbs with Kent and prepared for a fight when he took off his jumper.

However Mr Uzun’s solicitor Bryan Wrench told the court his client was acting in self defence.

He said that Mr Uzun, who was sober at the time, was wrongly accused of making comments towards Kent.

Tamer Uzun contested a charge relating to his role in a brawl with former Fox Sports commentator Paul Kent. Photo: NewsWire/Gaye Gerard.

“Mr Kent is the person provoking the incident and our client has had to defend himself,” Mr Wrench successfully argued.

Mr Wrench told the court that a “thoroughly intoxicated” Kent had consumed 21 beers over 11 hours at the nearby Sackville Hotel and was walking home at the time of the confrontation.

Mr Uzun told the court on Monday that he was at the popular restaurant for a birthday and was waiting outside for his partner.

Paul Kent pleaded guilty following the altercation outside Totti's in Rozelle.

Kent was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond.

Video played to the court showed Kent and another man walking past but they doubled back and accused Uzun and his friend of “s***potting” him.

In court on Monday, Mr Uzun denied that either he or his friend made a comment to provoke Kent.

“At the start I thought it was a joke,” Mr Uzun told the court.

“I didn’t know what he was talking about, we were laughing about the accusations.”

Mr Uzun said he told Kent to “f**k off” and “keep going”.

He said that backed up as Kent was “swearing and carrying on”.

Mr Uzun told the court that Kent took off his watch and pushed past several people to ignite the brawl.

Asked what his state of mind was at that point, Mr Uzun said: “This bloke’s going to bash me.”

He said he attempted to strike Kent as the brawl spilled onto the roadway.

“And that’s when he ended upside down in the tree,” Mr Uzun said.

He said that he was then crash tackled into the gutter by a man who was with Kent.

When he got up, Mr Uzun told the court that Kent abused him again and spat at him.

He told the court that he went back into the restaurant, asked for the manager and requested they preserve CCTV footage.

He suffered bruises on his neck and head and grazes on his shoulder.

Sgt Walsh told the court that Uzun “beckoned” Kent and moved towards him on a number of occasions despite the presence of a security guard.

“I didn’t want a fight,” Mr Uzun replied.

Paul Kent was involved in a wild brawl outside a Rozelle restaurant. Picture: NewsWire/Nikki Short.

He also asked him why he had taken off his jumper and handed it to his friend and had not walked back into the restaurant.

Magistrate Michael Blair said it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr Uzun had acted unreasonably when he threw a punch as Kent charged towards him on the footpath.

He said that Mr Uzun had taken off his jumper in preparation for a fight, however he described that action as “probably smart”.

He also found that Mr Uzun did not help the situation when he exchanged “furious” words with Kent.

However he said Kent was the “more aggressive” and Mr Uzun reacted by throwing a punch.

“In the circumstances and with all the evidence, it cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” Mr Blair said.

“The charge is dismissed.”

Kent in July last year failed in his bid to have a one charge of affray dealt with on mental health grounds before he pleaded guilty.

Kent did not have a conviction recorded against him and he was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond.

He departed Fox Sports and The Daily Telegraph following the incident.

Originally published as ‘Going to bash me’: Big win for other man in Paul Kent brawl