Rugby league star Greg Bird will spend at least eight months in jail for hurting his girlfriend, Katie Milligan, with a broken glass.
Bird was immediately taken into custody at the Downing Local Court. He was visibly shaken and his supporters cried.
Magistrate Roger Clisdell sentenced Bird to a maximum of 16 months in prison for the attack on Ms Milligan.
"It was a despicable act and most un-Australian,'' he said in his sentencing remarks.
The footballer was also fined $5,000 for the charge of making a false accusation and placed on a three-year good behaviour bond.
Catalans, the Super League club, has previously said that they will stand by their captain and want him to extend his contract with the French club beyond this season.
Earlier, Bird's girlfriend has written him a character reference to persuade a court to give him a lenient sentence for recklessly wounding her in an incident at his Cronulla apartment last August.
But his friend Brent Watson, who the former Sharks player originally told police was responsible for the cuts to Katie Milligan's face and eye, has described him as "selfish", the court heard today.
He has been found guilty of hurting Ms Milligan with a broken glass at his Cronulla apartment in August last year.
They had been arguing after she returned late from a night out.
The prosecution called for him to serve time in jail.
But Bird's lawyer, Les Nicholls, told the court that he had not hurt Ms Milligan intentionally and had not caused her lasting damage or disfigurement.
The pair now live together in France.
"I would ask your honour to accept the reference from the victim that at no time has Greg Bird ever intended ... to hurt her and it was out of character," Mr Nicholls said.
A good behaviour bond or community service order would be more appropriate, he said.
But the police prosecutor, Peter Stanhope, said Bird had not shown any concern for Mr Watson, whose reputation he was prepared to damage in an attempt to avoid police charges and the media attention they would bring.
Mr Watson had described Bird as "a selfish person whose only concern was his football career and the Sharks", Mr Stanhope said.
Mr Nicholls said Bird had been precluded from contacting Mr Watson since the incident, but he wished to apologise to him through the court.
"It was never his intention that any detriment be suffered by Mr Watson,'' Mr Nicholls said.
"He has not been in a position to offer his personal apology. He's asked me to do so today and to ask your Honour to take that into consideration for this offence."
The magistrate, Roger Clisdell, has reserved his decision on the sentence to this afternoon.
Bird was found guilty of reckless wounding and false accusation in April by the same magistrate, who said he had lied about how his girlfriend had turned up at hospital bleeding from her eye.
He pleaded guilty to public mischief.
smh.com.au
Bird was immediately taken into custody at the Downing Local Court. He was visibly shaken and his supporters cried.
Magistrate Roger Clisdell sentenced Bird to a maximum of 16 months in prison for the attack on Ms Milligan.
"It was a despicable act and most un-Australian,'' he said in his sentencing remarks.
The footballer was also fined $5,000 for the charge of making a false accusation and placed on a three-year good behaviour bond.
Catalans, the Super League club, has previously said that they will stand by their captain and want him to extend his contract with the French club beyond this season.
Earlier, Bird's girlfriend has written him a character reference to persuade a court to give him a lenient sentence for recklessly wounding her in an incident at his Cronulla apartment last August.
But his friend Brent Watson, who the former Sharks player originally told police was responsible for the cuts to Katie Milligan's face and eye, has described him as "selfish", the court heard today.
He has been found guilty of hurting Ms Milligan with a broken glass at his Cronulla apartment in August last year.
They had been arguing after she returned late from a night out.
The prosecution called for him to serve time in jail.
But Bird's lawyer, Les Nicholls, told the court that he had not hurt Ms Milligan intentionally and had not caused her lasting damage or disfigurement.
The pair now live together in France.
"I would ask your honour to accept the reference from the victim that at no time has Greg Bird ever intended ... to hurt her and it was out of character," Mr Nicholls said.
A good behaviour bond or community service order would be more appropriate, he said.
But the police prosecutor, Peter Stanhope, said Bird had not shown any concern for Mr Watson, whose reputation he was prepared to damage in an attempt to avoid police charges and the media attention they would bring.
Mr Watson had described Bird as "a selfish person whose only concern was his football career and the Sharks", Mr Stanhope said.
Mr Nicholls said Bird had been precluded from contacting Mr Watson since the incident, but he wished to apologise to him through the court.
"It was never his intention that any detriment be suffered by Mr Watson,'' Mr Nicholls said.
"He has not been in a position to offer his personal apology. He's asked me to do so today and to ask your Honour to take that into consideration for this offence."
The magistrate, Roger Clisdell, has reserved his decision on the sentence to this afternoon.
Bird was found guilty of reckless wounding and false accusation in April by the same magistrate, who said he had lied about how his girlfriend had turned up at hospital bleeding from her eye.
He pleaded guilty to public mischief.
smh.com.au
