Al-anwar Newspaper English news in Australia
The brother of an NRL star has recounted how he feared his elder sibling would die after being repeatedly punched in the face by police during a bar brawl in the Central Coast, allegedly instigated by a security guard calling the star’s mother a “f–king slut”.
Downing Centre Local Court heard on Wednesday how Josh Starling, 20, feared for the life of his brother and Canberra Raiders hooker Tom Starling, 23, when a birthday party at the Shady Palms bar and hotel turned violent in December 2020 at Avoca Beach on the state’s Central Coast.
Footage of the incident showed the wild scuffle and Tom being restrained and punched in the face by police officers. Tom suffered a bloody nose from the incident.“I was scared for mine and Tom’s life,” Josh Starling told the court. “I thought they were going to kill my brother.” The two brothers appeared at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday – alongside brother Jackson Starling and co-accused Jesse Byrne – for the 11th day of a hearing in relation to charges laid after the brawl at the Shady Palms.
Josh gave evidence about how he tried to move between Tom – who he described as “dazed” and “unconscious” – and senior constable Daniel Drew. Mr Drew – a different officer to who punched Tom in the face – had previously told court in May he struck the NRL hooker in the ribs.
The police prosecutor put to Josh his recollection of the night was made up from the CCTV footage shown in court, rather than his memory which the prosecutor alleged was clouded due to intoxication. The youngest Starling denied this was the case.
Eldest brother Jackson, 25, also gave evidence to the court and said he “really feared for Tom’s safety” during the flurry of punches. “I was pretty worried for Tom,” he said, describing how he was then pushed to the ground and struck himself. Police bodycam footage played in court captured a female friend of Josh’s state how security guard Khan Morris had allegedly called the Starlings’ mother a “f**king slut”. “She got called a slut by security, her son reacted,” she told police, captured in the CCTV video. “It’s really not fair.” The court also heard how Shady Palms head of security Khan Morris had recently been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm in relation to the incident after he allegedly attacked the Starlings’ father. Tom and Jackson have each pleaded not guilty to the charge of resisting or hindering a police officer in the execution of duty, while Josh has pleaded not guilty to that same charge, but also to common assault and assaulting an officer in execution of duty. Byrne has also pleaded not guilty to resisting or hindering a police officer in the execution of duty. In May, the police prosecutor alleged how the brawl began when security guard Morris told the Starling boys’ mother to sit down due to Covid regulations, which led to him being yelled at by Josh. The Starlings’ high-profile lawyer Samar Singh-Panwar alleged Morris called Starling’s mother “a f**king slut”, before the night took a turn for the worse.
