Paul Kent: Inside the footy journalist’s year from hell before video emerged of fight
Accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, fired from his job and now in the news for his involvement in a wild street brawl – Paul Kent has seen better days.
Over the past 12 months, the sports journalist has seen him appear in court on serious charges and twice lose his role on Fox Sport’s NRL360.
Amid the scandals, Kent has faced public criticism, with people directly confronting him in public and hurling insults.
Kent’s latest debacle was captured on film outside the Three Weeds hotel in Rozelle, in Sydney’s west, late on Saturday evening.
The 54-year-old could be heard calling the other man, aged 35, a ‘dog face’ before a physical altercation ensued.
The 35-year-old has been charged with fraud.
Kent first found himself in trouble last May when he was accused of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, Lucy Kennedy.
Paul Kent has been suspended from his role on Fox Sport’s NRL360 following his involvement in a brawl. Last year he was acquitted of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend
Police were called to his home in Lilyfield on Friday morning after reports of an altercation between the pair.
Kent was charged with common assault and intentionally strangling a person without consent.
He was released on bail and pleaded not guilty to the charges on May 17.
At the time he pleaded not guilty, Kent told reporters outside the Downing Center in Sydney that he and Mrs Kennedy had separated the day before the alleged incident and that he felt “embarrassed” to appear in court.
Kent was withdrawn from Fox Sports and his writing duties at The Daily Telegraph following his allegations.
Kent, who has in the past spoken out strongly against rugby league players accused of similar offences, was asked at the time whether his position had changed after being accused of domestic abuse.
Kent’s latest debacle was captured on film outside the Three Weeds hotel in Rozelle, western Sydney, late on Saturday evening.
Kent was reportedly thrown into a tree before landing with his head in a gutter on Saturday evening
‘Look, I understand that, I’ve always understood that. “It’s just a rugby league soap opera, that’s how it runs,” he said.
“It’s my day in the storyline now. That’s fine, people are entitled to their opinion.’
Kent was ultimately found not guilty of domestic violence charges against his ex on December 12 after a two-day court hearing.
The sports journalist, who drove limousines for a Sydney funeral company while awaiting trial, told reporters he was keen to return to a “normal life” after his acquittal in December.
“The judge accepted what had happened, to the point that my lawyer was not even required to issue a final demand letter,” he said at the time.
‘It’s been seven months that I’ve had to sit there and feel like I’ve been wrongfully arrested [and] wrongfully accused, and I’ve had to sit there and watch our public reputation torn apart by people who used it as an opportunity.
Footage from a December encounter shared on Instagram showed a man harassing Kent in a pub
Kent and a 35-year-old man were arguing before the brawl broke out on the road
‘Finally the truth is out there. It has cost me a lot, it has been a major setback in my life. But we all have our problems in life.
“This is my thing at the moment, so it’s now up to me to regroup and get back to my normal life. I can finally put this all behind me.’
Kent had been the subject of criticism before his acquittal, suffering severe abuse both online and in person.
Footage from a December encounter shared on Instagram in what appears to be a pub showed a man harassing Kent.
He is heard falsely and maliciously calling the footy journalist a ‘rapist’ as he films Kent, who refused to deal with him.
The accusation was completely false and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on behalf of his Kent or that there was any factual basis for making the accusation.
Things started to turn for the better when Kent returned to his role at Fox Sports in late February, co-hosting broadcasts in the lead-up to the NRL’s historic opening round in Las Vegas.
But Saturday night’s antics saw him again suspended from his roles at Fox Sports and the Daily Telegraph while his employers investigate the incident.
Footage of the brawl shows the two men arguing as bystanders tried to separate them.
The clash then spread to the road, with Kent attacking the man before he was reportedly thrown into a tree and hit his head in the gutter.
Other men could be seen trying to intervene in the clash.
It is unclear what sparked the argument.
The accused 35-year-old man has been granted conditional bail and will appear in court on June 7.
NSW Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that no further charges have been laid at this stage.