- 54-year-old stopped working after incident
- The 35-year-old man has been charged with fraud
Footy commentator Paul Kent has been hospitalized with as many as five broken ribs and a suspected collapsed lung after his alleged street brawl on Saturday evening, his lawyer said on Tuesday.
Footage that went viral on social media on Sunday morning showed Kent and another man arguing outside the Three Weeds hotel in the western Sydney suburb of Rozelle before the altercation turned physical.
Kent has been suspended from his roles at Fox Sports and the Daily Telegraph while his employers investigate the incident.
A 35-year-old man reported to Balmain police station about 6.45pm on Sunday before being taken to Newtown police station in the city’s west and charged with affray after officers launched an investigation when they became aware of the video.
Kent’s lawyer says the commentator is being treated in hospital for broken ribs and a possible collapsed lung after being thrown into a tree on Saturday evening (pictured)
Now Kent’s lawyer, George Elias, has said his client is being treated in hospital to see if he suffered a collapsed lung in addition to four or five broken ribs during the alleged altercation.
“He has been in the hospital since the incident,” Elias told police Sydney Morning Herald.
“I’m just concerned about his health and well-being.”
In the clip, Kent can be heard calling the other man a “dogface” before they reportedly get into a physical altercation that extends across the room.
The footage shows the commentator reportedly being thrown into a tree and landing with his head in the gutter before picking himself up from the ground.
Other men could be seen trying to intervene in the alleged clash.
The man charged over the incident has also revealed a photo of an injury he suffered to the back of his head during the collision, for which he is seeking medical attention.
The NRL 360 presenter (pictured outside a Sydney court last year) has been fired from his job at Fox Sports and News Corp after the alleged street fight
On Sunday, Daily Mail Australia obtained exclusive photos of a doctor visiting Kent at his western Sydney home (pictured)
On Sunday, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed that Kent was visited by a doctor at his home in the city’s west just hours after the incident.
The doctor arrived at the house in a black Mercedes. Kent’s friends then led the medic, who was carrying a stethoscope and a bag full of medical supplies, into the building through a back street.
On Tuesday, the man accused of fraud received a boost with the news that high-profile criminal lawyer Chris Murphy is taking his case.
Murphy is one of the country’s best-known lawyers having defended many headline figures including footy stars Sam Burgess, Hazem El Masri and Shaun Kenny-Dowall, as well as actor Matthew Newton, boxer Jeff Fenech, the Rolling Stones and music superstar Rod Stewart.
The 35-year-old man charged with fighting over the incident received welcome news on Tuesday
High-profile criminal lawyer Chris Murphy (photo) takes on his case
A photo has been revealed showing the head wound the 35-year-old is said to have suffered during the incident, showing severe swelling at the back of his head
He also defended 31 Bandidos-bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang members against murder charges stemming from the infamous ‘Milperra massacre’ shooting.
Murphy announced early Tuesday morning with a tweet that he would be handling the case, followed by two more posts about the case.
‘Last night at 10.33pm on April 29, I was instructed to act for one of the two fraud suspects, the man walking backwards, seen in the Paul Kent video circulating on social media. I will defend the case,” Murphy wrote.
‘My client was out to dinner with his wife and another couple. He doesn’t drink alcoholic beverages.’