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Footy star Brandon Smith admits he lied to police while they were investigating his ex-Melbourne Storm teammate Curtis Scott over alleged assaults on a woman
- NRL star Brandon Smith lied to police during Curtis Scott investigation
- Smith told Sydney Downing Center he felt the police investigation was ‘anti-Curtis’
- Scott, 24, is accused of assaulting a woman
- Scott denies allegations of physical and verbal abuse
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NRL star Brandon Smith has admitted lying to police after they launched an investigation into allegations that his former Melbourne Storm teammate Curtis Scott assaulted a woman.
Speaking via video link at the Downing Center in Sydney on Thursday, Smith, 26, labeled the suggestion that Scott smashed furniture with a baseball bat “ridiculous.”
Scott knew the woman when he lived in a shared house with Smith and fellow Melbourne teammates Scott Drinkwater and Brodie Croft. Scott has denied allegations that he physically and verbally abused her.
The 24-year-old faces four counts of habitual assault, stalking or harassment with intent to cause fear or bodily harm, intentionally strangling a person without consent, two counts of assault involving actual bodily harm and intentionally asphyxiating a person with recklessness.
He has pleaded not guilty.
NRL star Brandon Smith has admitted lying to police after they launched an investigation into allegations that his former Melbourne Storm teammate Curtis Scott assaulted a woman
Smith dismissed the claim that his former teammate had previously used a baseball bat to destroy furniture in their shared home in Balwyn in a fit of rage.
He said the claim was “ridiculous.”
“If that had been the case, at least I would have done something about it,” he said. “It just doesn’t sound right.”
Smith also revealed that he refused to sign a statement taken from him by the police because the questions asked were “anti-Curtis.”
He then admitted that he lied to police about signing the statement because he was under pressure from his long-term girlfriend Savannah Syred at the time.
“I didn’t draw it because I didn’t like what it said. I thought some of it wasn’t true. I thought some of the questions were anti-Curtis,” he told the court.
Scott is charged with quadruple assault and stalking or intimidation with intent to cause fear or bodily harm
In parts of the unsigned statement read to the court, Smith admitted to seeing Scott verbally argue with the woman, but pointed out that he never saw any physical escalation.
Prosecutor Rebecca Beecroft told the court that Smith deliberately did not give evidence because he “didn’t want to be seen as going against his teammates.”
“His reputation can be quite damaged in a team environment for “chasing” a teammate,” she said.
Beecroft then asked Smith if his role as an NRL player was to be a “sincere member of the community” – and report any incidents of domestic violence.
Smith replied that he would speak regardless of whether Curtis was allegedly “beating girls.”
The former Storm and Raiders star was due to play for the Parramatta Eels this season, but his contract was not ratified by the NRL after his arrest.
In another incident on January 27, 2020, Scott was arrested by police who found him sleeping under a tree in Moore Park, on the edge of Sydney’s CBD.
He was tasered and pepper sprayed while still on the ground and then taken to the Sydney Police Center where he was charged with six offences, including two charges of assaulting an officer while on duty and conduct at an abusive or indecent manner.
Five of the charges were later dropped by police after bodycam footage showed Scott asleep and did not resist his arrest.