Fox Sports’ Paul Kent pleads not guilty to domestic abuse offences against Lucy Kennedy
Paul Kent pleads not guilty to felonies of domestic violence as both the high-profile Fox Sports pundit and his ex-girlfriend get a restraining order following an argument
- Fox Sports journalist Paul Kent has been arrested in Sydney
- Police responded to an alleged domestic incident last Friday
- Co-host of NRL 360 has been charged with assault in court
Prominent Fox Sports rugby league presenter and pundit Paul Kent has pleaded not guilty to crimes of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend when he first went to trial.
The NRL 360 co-host appeared in Sydney Downing Center court on Wednesday charged with common assault and intentionally asphyxiating a person without consent.
The allegations relate to 33-year-old Lucy Kennedy, who was arrested with Kent at his home in the inner west of the city last Friday morning and later released without charge.
Police had been called to the Lilyfield residence, in Sydney’s inner west, around 10:30am after reports of an altercation between the couple.
They have applied for an arrest warrant on behalf of Mrs. Kennedy, as well as a warrant on behalf of 52-year-old Kent.
Prominent Fox Sports rugby league presenter and pundit Paul Kent pleaded not guilty to crimes of domestic violence when he first went to trial. Kent is pictured outside the Downing Center Local Court in Sydney
Ms. Kennedy indicated through her lawyer on Wednesday that she would oppose the AVO police who are wanted against her.
Lucy Kennedy was arrested along with Kent (above)
Kent, who co-hosts NRL 360 on Fox League alongside former league star Braith Anasta and is also a columnist for the Daily Telegraph, is out on bail.
The court heard on Wednesday that the police would file an additional charge of assault resulting in actual bodily harm.
Attorney George Elias pleaded not guilty to both existing charges.
The police would call two officers as well as Mrs. Kennedy, while Kent would have three witnesses in his defense.
His girlfriend Lucy Kennedy, 33, also appeared in court at the Downing Center in Sydney on Wednesday
In a statement released over the weekend, News Corp. said Kent would temporarily stop writing for the Telegraph and would not appear on Fox League for the next several weeks.
“Paul Kent is relieved of his duties at News Corp and Fox Sports while he addresses this personal matter,” the statement read.
League legend Gorden Tallis took over Kent’s seat on NRL 360 on Monday night when Anasta told viewers ‘Paul Kent has stepped down as he deals with personal issues’.
One of the most outspoken and recognizable experts in the NRL, Kent has been a regular co-host of NRL 360 since the show’s launch in 2013.
However, Fox Sports has since removed previous shows from its streaming service Kayo.
Kent did not appear in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph, while the newspaper stated that he was ‘on leave’. A Brent Read column appeared in the space normally reserved for Kent’s weekend piece.
He was not present at NRL 360, with Anasta announcing that Kent was away to sort out ‘personal issues’.
A hearing on the allegations was held over two days from December 11.
Kent’s AVO is listed on November 20 and Mrs. Kennedy’s on August 2.
Outside court, Kent said he and Mrs. Kennedy had split the day before the alleged incident and that he was “embarrassed” to appear in court.
He didn’t believe his career was over. “I’m just letting the lawsuit unfold right now,” he told reporters.
NRL journalist Paul Kent was arrested in Sydney on Friday and charged with assault