- Paul Carter was ordered to appear in court after assaulting his ex-girlfriend
- Former NRL star injured ex-partner during family gathering
- Later arrested by NSW Police, an officer was injured at the scene
Former NRL star and serial offender Paul Carter has been spared jail after spitting in his ex-girlfriend's face three times during an alcohol binge.
Days after the July attack on Coffs Harbor on the NSW north coast, Carter was arrested and verbally lashed out at police officers, calling them 'f****t fingers b***h', 'melon-headed c** *' mentioned. ' and 'devon-head b***h'.
Carter, the son of NRL premiership winner Steve Carter, appeared in Waverley Local Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for domestic violence, breaching an AVO and resisting or obstructing police.
The 31-year-old had pleaded guilty to the charges last month.
The court heard Carter and his former partner were in Coffs Harbor for a family baptism last July.
Paul Carter was convicted after spitting in his ex-girlfriend's face three times during an alcohol-fuelled episode in Coffs Harbor on the NSW north coast
The former Roosters hooker has been spared jail for the incident, which the magistrate described as an 'absolutely disgusting act'.
According to News Corpthe victim heard Carter and his father Steve make a series of “derogatory comments” about another family member's “drinking habits.”
Carter's ex-girlfriend confronted the former Sydney Roosters hooker, and… A “verbal and physical altercation” ensued.
Court documents revealed Carter was 'enraged' and said words to the effect of 'you're slut/c***' and spat in the victim's face 'approximately three times'.
He then caused bruising by holding the victim's hand with 'considerable force' and pushed her head, causing further bruising and swelling.
The victim left the Coffs Harbor home the following morning – with her and Carter's child – before reporting the incident to police on August 1.
Officers took photos of her injuries, which “remained quite noticeable.”
On the same evening, police went to Carter's home in Randwick, where his current partner answered the door. She allegedly told police that they had broken up months earlier.
Officers then heard Carter yell. He became aggressive when they told him he was under arrest.
When they tried to handcuff him, one officer was injured.
Carter also had NRL stints with the Titans in 2014 and Rabbitohs (pictured) in 2015 and 2016
Carter joined the Roosters in 2017, where he played in the Anzac Day clash against the Dragons (pictured, left, alongside star Luke Keary)
On Wednesday, Magistrate Ross Hudson noted that Carter had been on bail for 'about sixteen months' and had not committed any offenses since then.
However, he did say that “spitting on someone is an absolutely disgusting act.”
The court heard Carter now had a job in excavations and previously had an alcohol problem.
“I am of the view… that there are good reasons… not to impose a custodial sentence,” Mr Hudson said, while also emphasizing that domestic violence “will not be tolerated”.
Carter was convicted of each offense and given a 12-month community corrections order on a charge of resisting police.
He was given a two-year community service order for the offense and for the common assault for which he must complete 140 hours of community service.
Carter – who played 40 NRL games, with the Gold Coast Titans, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Roosters – has had many run-ins with the law over the past decade.
In late 2017, then Roosters star Blake Ferguson was left 'devastated' after an alleged hoax call to 000 from Carter saw police investigating whether the representative winger's children had been given drugs.
In January 2018, Carter was given a two-year good behavior bail after pleading guilty to supplying cocaine to ex-Sydney Roosters winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall at Sydney's Ivy Nightclub.
It followed a night out in Sydney's CBD in May 2017.
The following year, Carter denied he was the source who leaked lewd sex tapes featuring then-NRL enforcer Dylan Napa – and when he was on the Titans' books in 2014, he was sacked after two drink-driving charges in six months.