Coward-punch culture: furore over Packer and McEwen fight cases looming
PETER BODKIN, NATHAN KLEIN AND JANET FIFE-YEOMANS
The Daily Telegraph
January 07, 2014 12:00AM
IT was a tale of two magistrates in Sydney courts yesterday. As an NRL hard man was jailed for two years for an act of drunken violence, another walked free after allegedly being involved in two alcohol-fuelled incidents in less than three months.
In Downing Centre Local Court yesterday, Newcastle Knights recruit Russell Packer, 24, was ordered behind bars for punching a man in the head then stomping on his prone body after a drunken argument over cigarettes.
Magistrate Greg Grogin blasted the NRL player's behaviour as "disgraceful" and "deplorable", adding alcohol-fuelled violence was a "major concern for all of the community". "This community is sick and tired of the behaviour exhibited by you that night," he told a stunned Packer before sending him to jail.
Only a few hundred metres down the road in Central Local Court, removalist Jamie Ennis was told he would be free to enjoy the rest of his 24th birthday as he was granted bail over his alleged role in the Bondi Beach attack which left victim Michael McEwen in a week-long coma.
Magistrate Michael Barko released him on a $2000 security and a night-time curfew, despite noting Ennis had "an issue with being out late at night consuming alcohol and being involved in some form of violence". Only two weeks ago another magistrate rejected Ennis' bail bid over similar allegations.
Police are yet to charge anyone with delivering the "coward's punch" which last month left the 23-year-old with life-threatening brain injuries, but a court heard Ennis helped fuel the brutal attack when he allegedly followed the victim across the road and grabbed his shirt before a friend allegedly blindsided the young man with a single punch. A bystander allegedly had to hold Ennis back from inflicting further violence as the unidentified attacker kicked Mr McEwen on the ground, the court was told.
The victim spent a week in an induced coma at St Vincent's Hospital after the assault and was released into rehabilitation yesterday - more than three weeks later.
Ennis, living in Bondi at the time, had earlier been seen with the unknown man at the Beach Road Hotel before security threw him out.
Prosecutor David Anderson appealed for Ennis to be kept in custody, telling the magistrate Ennis had been the aggressor throughout the confrontation with Mr McEwen and if he hadn't followed the victim the near-fatal attack may never have happened. Ennis was on bail for another alleged drunken assault in September and had a history of resisting police and carrying weapons in public, the court heard.
In the earlier incident, he has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he produced a machete and again had to be restrained after getting into an argument.
But Mr Barko said Ennis was accused of "nothing more serious" than ripping the victim's shirtand the case against him risked becoming "guilt by association". He said there was no evidence the 24-year-old did anything to incite or help the unknown attacker - or that he knew the man would assault the victim.
Mr Barko's move to release Ennis follows another controversial decision to grant bail to Corey Beard - the latest man charged over a one-punch attack. On Sunday, Magistrate Tony Marsden released the 21-year-old a day after he was arrested over the assault in Penrith that left Alex McEwen in a coma. He called the attack a "regrettable incident … involving violence between young men".
THE man accused of hitting a teenager who ended up in a coma claimed yesterday he was acting in self-defence.
Corey Beard, 21, was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on Alexander McEwen, 19, and also assaulting his brother Lance, 21, outside a McDonald's at Penrith on Saturday morning.
"I'm not a violent person,'' Beard said yesterday outside his Werrington home, claiming someone attempted to hit him.
"Just because I know how to defend myself I now have my name in the papers. I have a job, a mortgage and am not violent."
Police allege Beard punched both brothers, knocking the younger McEwen over a wall where he struck his head and lost consciousness.
The teen was rushed to Nepean Hospital, where he is being treated for a fractured skull and damage to his spine. He came out of an induced coma on Sunday afternoon.
His brother Lance, who suffered facial injuries, said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph the attack came after a young woman in the carpark posed for a photograph with Alexander.
He said it was his brother's first big night out since arriving from Auckland, New Zealand.
"I thought he was dead, to be honest. Some guy was holding his head up and I was just screaming, 'Call the ambulance, call the ambulance'."
Beard appeared at Parramatta Court on Sunday where he was granted conditional bail charged with offences including recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm as well as assaulting Lance McEwen.
He was also charged with possessing steroids after police allegedly found 13 vials of the drug during a search of his home on Saturday.
During the bail application, Sergeant Belinda Laughton told the court the alleged assault had been captured on CCTV and there was a strong prosecution case.
Beard said he believe the CCTV footage will help clear him.
"I am seeing my solicitor,'' he said yesterday.
Parramatta Local Court on Sunday was told an argument appeared to have broken out between the men after Beard and an unknown man approached women who were with the brothers.
Magistrate Anthony Marsden said it was not evident from the facts tendered to the court as to whether alcohol was a factor in the incident.
He said it appeared that Beard was walking from the nearby Peach Tree Hotel when he came across the brothers at the fast food restaurant.
It was another "regrettable" incident "involving violence between young men", Mr Marsden said.
