Greg Bird faces more assault charges

Former NRL star Greg Bird is facing fresh charges over the alleged nightclub assault
on a woman, but his lawyer says new evidence from bouncers may clear his name.
After a week in which the NRL struggled to deal with the fallout from charges
brought against another of its high profile players, four new counts of assault were
laid against Bird in Sutherland Local Court on Friday.
The five assault charges all relate to his alleged attack on Victoria Shannon at
Fusions nightclub in Cronulla in the early hours of January 19 last year.
Four days after he was charged on August 20, the former Cronulla Shark, who also
represented NSW and Australia, allegedly glassed his American girlfriend Katie
Milligan, 24, in an incident that is the subject of a separate court case.
At the start of what was to be a three-day hearing over the nightclub incident, the
25-year-old's lawyer sought an adjournment, saying new witnesses had emerged that
may clear Bird's name.
Patrick Conaghan said the statements from three security guards and security video,
some of which he received as late as Friday morning, proved his client's innocence.
"Three security officers are able not only to give evidence, but to give evidence to
the effect that he was the victim in this matter," Mr Conaghan told the court.
"(The complainant and her sister's) behaviour (in the video) is totally inconsistent
with their statements.
"It's just entirely unfair for Mr Bird - the documents before me point to him being
innocent."
Police prosecutor Sergeant Karryn Vanzino said the security officers had only begun
to cooperate with police in the past week and joined Mr Conaghan in the application
to adjourn the matter.
Outside court, Bird declined to talk about the hearing, but said he empathised with
Manly player Brett Stewart, who has faced scrutiny since being charged on Tuesday
with sexually assaulting a teenage girl after his club's alcohol-fuelled season
launch.
Stewart, who will come before the court next month, has been suspended for four games.
"I do feel for him actually, but it's not for me to say anything," Bird said.
Bird now lives in France, where he plays for Catalans, and prosecutors have been
ordered to pay his travel costs of $2,000 because of the delays to the case.
Magistrate Jayeanne Carney adjourned the matter until July 6 for hearing in the same
court.
Bird faces unrelated charges of reckless wounding, assault occasioning actual bodily
harm and lying to police over the alleged attack on Ms Milligan and will face a
three-day hearing next month.
Ms Milligan has previously said she stands by Bird, and on Friday he confirmed they
are still a couple.