Cronulla Sharks star Greg Bird will face a lesser charge of allegedly recklessly wounding his girlfriend Katie Milligan, after Sydney police indicated they would drop the charge of maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Bird arrived at Downing Centre Local Court today with family members, including his sister and two small children.
His sister, who was holding a baby, later accused the media of attacking her "little brother" and told them to move out of the way.
In court, chief magistrate Graham Henson refused an application by Bird to vary his bail conditions and the conditions of apprehended violence order taken out by police.
Both Bird and Ms Milligan wanted the order to be varied so they could contact each other.
Ms Milligan failed last month to get the order against him revoked.
Ms Milligan, 24, a American law student, ended up in hospital after an incident at Bird's Cronulla apartment, in Sydney's south, on Sunday, August 24.
She suffered cuts and a fractured eye socket after being hit in the face with a glass.
Mr Bird's lawyer, Les Nicholls, told the court today: "The simple fact is Your Honour, there has been no complaint of assault against Mr Bird by the victim.
"The prosecution, even if put to task on the AVO issue ... could not even prove that the parties were in an intimate personal relationship on the facts and material that they have in their prosecution brief."
Mr Nicholls also said that Ms Milligan "has no objections to Mr Bird contacting her".
He added in relation to the law on AVOs: "The suspicion or otherwise of the police involved in this matter don't overwrite the objects of the Act."
Mr Bird told the court through his lawyer that he had come to court "even though I have done nothing wrong, I am prepared for this interim order to continue ... but I just ask to be able to contact her".
Outside the court, Mr Bird said: "I just want to say one thing . . . I strongly deny the allegations being made against me. I love my girlfriend, I never hurt her, never would I ever hurt you."
The court heard that Milligan is currently overseas but had provided an email stating her desire for the conditions to be varied so she could contact her boyfriend.
