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Police set to charge Gower
Jamie Pandaram | March 23, 2007
PENRITH co-captain Craig Gower will be charged with assault in relation to a nightclub fight in February, as the Panthers face their first home game of the season tonight against the Bulldogs.
While it's alleged that associates of Gower also took part in the fight with another group of men at the Peppermint Lounge nightspot in Potts Point during the early hours of February 11, the Herald can reveal the NRL star will be the only person charged over the incident.
Police investigating the matter have been hampered by un-cooperative witnesses, while the lead detective has also been caught up in another case, which is why it has taken more than two months for the investigation to be completed.
A 19-year-old Marrickville man, Bshar Hassen, made a complaint to police after he was allegedly crash-tackled by Gower, 28, after refusing to sip a drink offered to him by the former Test player.
Kings Cross police expect to issue Gower with a court attendance notice in the coming days, which means he will become the second Penrith player facing criminal charges. Frank Pritchard has been charged with affray in relation to a street brawl in Liverpool last month, and is due to face court on April 19.
Another league player, Anthony Laffranchi of the Gold Coast Titans, will front court on Tuesday charged with sexual assault, and the latest news about Gower adds to the NRL's frustration in having to manage off-field controversies.
The key piece of evidence police will use to prosecute Gower - should he contest the charge - is the nightclub's security camera footage, which clearly shows the incident. This is despite Penrith officials also viewing the footage days after the fight and claiming their star player had nothing to worry about. "A complaint was made and there is corroborative evidence to support it," a police source close to the investigation said. "As they say, a picture tells a thousand words. He is looking at an assault charge."
It is understood Penrith chief executive Michael Leary has been informed of the impending charge by police. After reviewing the footage and talking to witnesses and Gower, Leary recommended the club take no further action against the controversial halfback days after police had launched their investigation. At the time, Leary said: "I have recommended to the Penrith board that no action should be taken against Craig Gower and I think the NRL will be happy with that decision after they see my report.
"We are always up front and transparent about these things and if one of our players is accused of something, we will investigate it. We have done that and in this case, we have found no evidence of wrongdoing."
Witnesses at the Peppermint Lounge that night spoke of Gower's intoxicated behaviour, which included his involvement in a second fight after he allegedly did a striptease-style dance in front of a woman and then apparently bit her boyfriend's neck. The man punched Gower repeatedly and gave him a bloody lip. No police complaint was made about the second fight.
The Panthers refused to strip Gower of the captaincy, even though that was part of his punishment last year after he was involved in another pre-season drunken incident at a golf course. He was announced as one of three co-captains for this year, joining back-rower Tony Puletua and hooker Luke Priddis.
Gower, who guided the club to the premiership in 2003, had an unhappy opening-round match last week, failing to spark the Penrith attack as they were defeated 18-0 by Cronulla.
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/gower-facing-assault-charge/2007/03/22/1174153255058.html
Jamie Pandaram | March 23, 2007
PENRITH co-captain Craig Gower will be charged with assault in relation to a nightclub fight in February, as the Panthers face their first home game of the season tonight against the Bulldogs.
While it's alleged that associates of Gower also took part in the fight with another group of men at the Peppermint Lounge nightspot in Potts Point during the early hours of February 11, the Herald can reveal the NRL star will be the only person charged over the incident.
Police investigating the matter have been hampered by un-cooperative witnesses, while the lead detective has also been caught up in another case, which is why it has taken more than two months for the investigation to be completed.
A 19-year-old Marrickville man, Bshar Hassen, made a complaint to police after he was allegedly crash-tackled by Gower, 28, after refusing to sip a drink offered to him by the former Test player.
Kings Cross police expect to issue Gower with a court attendance notice in the coming days, which means he will become the second Penrith player facing criminal charges. Frank Pritchard has been charged with affray in relation to a street brawl in Liverpool last month, and is due to face court on April 19.
Another league player, Anthony Laffranchi of the Gold Coast Titans, will front court on Tuesday charged with sexual assault, and the latest news about Gower adds to the NRL's frustration in having to manage off-field controversies.
The key piece of evidence police will use to prosecute Gower - should he contest the charge - is the nightclub's security camera footage, which clearly shows the incident. This is despite Penrith officials also viewing the footage days after the fight and claiming their star player had nothing to worry about. "A complaint was made and there is corroborative evidence to support it," a police source close to the investigation said. "As they say, a picture tells a thousand words. He is looking at an assault charge."
It is understood Penrith chief executive Michael Leary has been informed of the impending charge by police. After reviewing the footage and talking to witnesses and Gower, Leary recommended the club take no further action against the controversial halfback days after police had launched their investigation. At the time, Leary said: "I have recommended to the Penrith board that no action should be taken against Craig Gower and I think the NRL will be happy with that decision after they see my report.
"We are always up front and transparent about these things and if one of our players is accused of something, we will investigate it. We have done that and in this case, we have found no evidence of wrongdoing."
Witnesses at the Peppermint Lounge that night spoke of Gower's intoxicated behaviour, which included his involvement in a second fight after he allegedly did a striptease-style dance in front of a woman and then apparently bit her boyfriend's neck. The man punched Gower repeatedly and gave him a bloody lip. No police complaint was made about the second fight.
The Panthers refused to strip Gower of the captaincy, even though that was part of his punishment last year after he was involved in another pre-season drunken incident at a golf course. He was announced as one of three co-captains for this year, joining back-rower Tony Puletua and hooker Luke Priddis.
Gower, who guided the club to the premiership in 2003, had an unhappy opening-round match last week, failing to spark the Penrith attack as they were defeated 18-0 by Cronulla.
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/gower-facing-assault-charge/2007/03/22/1174153255058.html
