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Seems a week doesn't pass by. This one has been kept rather quiet.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20087322-661,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20087322-661,00.html
Hawk bashing claims heard in court
11 August 2006 Herald-Sun
Shelley Hodgson
HAWKS young gun Jordan Lewis was part of a mob who set upon a young man in a "terrifying" Grand Final day attack, a jury has heard.
Claiming his innocence: The lawyer for Jordan Lewis says the Hawthorn player stepped in only to protect the victim.
A witness told the County Court in Warrnambool yesterday that Lewis punched the victim while he was down and was throwing "left-and-right combos" as the group of attackers went "berserk" at a party. But Dermot Dann, acting for Mr Lewis, claimed the young midfielder was innocent. He said Mr Lewis stepped in only to protect the victim, Philip Emeny, then 18.
"He saw a situation developing where Mr Emeny was outnumbered. He saw a situation where he thought it was appropriate to do something to help so Mr Emeny would not be hurt," Mr Dann said.
Mr Dann claimed the main prosecution witness, James Stuart Brunt, was jealous of Mr Lewis and had made a police statement with detailed allegations about the footballer just one day after the Hawks picked him up in the November 2004 draft.
Mr Brunt denied he was jealous and said he had made a statement that day only because it was the first chance he had to go to the police station to sign a statement made five months earlier.
At the station he made a second statement.
Jordan Michael Lewis, 20, is on trial charged with one count of affray. He has pleaded not guilty.
The fight happened at a party, on the night of the 2003 AFL Grand Final, at a rural property at Allansford, near Warrnambool.
The reason for the attack was "lame-brained", prosecutor Andrew Moore said.
The court heard that about a fortnight earlier a dispute had erupted between Mr Emeny and another man, Travis Dean Graham, about when Mr Graham crashed his car.
Mr Emeny had been blamed for the smash, the court heard.
Mr Moore said that when Mr Emeny arrived at the party about 11.30pm on September 27, 2003, he was accused of having almost killed Mr Graham in the accident and was bashed. He alleged Mr Lewis was among up to 15 attackers.
Mr Brunt told the court that Mr Lewis threw five or six punches: "I just seen (Lewis) going to the pack and throwing left-and-right combos."
Lewis told police he had tried to help Mr Emeny.
Mr Lewis has played 36 senior games with the Hawks and was last year voted Hawthorn's best first year player.
The trial, before Judge Jeanette Morrish, is continuing.
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