Fox Sports Paul Kent found not guilty of domestic violence allegations

Sports journalist Paul Kent has been found not guilty of allegations he attacked and choked his then-partner at his home in Sydney’s inner west.

Following the two-day hearing, magistrate Daniel Rees told the court he could not find the charges proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Mr Rees said Mr Kent had acted in defence of his own property after his former partner Lucinda Kennedy took his phone following an argument.

“I’m not persuaded in the struggle he put his hands on her throat. Thus, I am not satisfied beyond reasonable,” Mr Rees said.

“He acknowledges picking up and moving her. That is not unreasonable, and doesn’t appear to have been forceful.”

Outside of court, Mr Kent told reporters the result was “vindication” and that the allegations had been a “setback”.

“The judge accepted what happened to the point that my barrister was not even required to make a final summation,” he said.

“The truth is out there, finally. It’s been a big cost to me, it’s been a big set back in my life. But, we’ve all got our struggles in life.

“This is my one currently, so it’s up to me now to regroup and get back to my normal life. I can finally leave this all behind.”

On the allegation, Mr Kent claimed he had been “publicly lacerate … by people who have used it as an opportunity”.

The 53-year-old described the public demise of his relationship as “embarrassing” and said he had been unable to work.

The rugby reporter was temporarily removed from his position with Fox Sports and The Daily Telegraph following the charges.

Despite Tuesday’s result, Mr Kent could not confirm whether he planned to return to his regular columnist role.

In the short term, Mr Kent told reporters he planned on “going home to pet my cat” ahead of a possible application for costs.

Police had alleged Mr Kent tackled and then choked Ms Kennedy following a domestic disturbance in May.

The previous day, an argument had broken out between the pair after which Mr Kent told Ms Kennedy he was “done”.

In his closing submissions, the police prosecutor claimed the argument was not unusual and that the pair, in the past, got back together.

During the ensuing argument, police had claimed Mr Kent also knelt on Ms Kennedy during a scuffle after she took his mobile phone.

Ms Kennedy later reported to police and numerous doctors that she had been choked, and claimed to have redness around her neck.

Those claims, given to multiple doctors and physiotherapists, were scrutinised during Mr Rees’ judgement following the eight-hour hearing.

“There is nothing in the objectionably accessible material that there was an injury sustained that is only explainable by grabbing the neck,” he said.

Mr Rees also shed new light during his judgement on a “barrage” of texts sent by the woman the night before the incident.

Relationship characterised by ‘mistrust’

Taking the stand on Tuesday, Mr Kent told the court he did not choke Ms Kennedy but admitted to a physical “wrestle” over the sport reporter’s mobile phone.

Mr Kent said he was writing a column in his office when he was alerted by his CCTV to Ms Kennedy, who he had separated from the night before, entering his yard.

Confronting her in the hallway, Mr Kent said Ms Kennedy demanded to see his phone “for answers” after calling him “too gutless” to answer her texts.

Mr Kent told the court he said to Ms Kennedy that “nothing was going on” and ordered her to leave the home, before she snatched his phone from his desk.

A physical scuffle ensued between the pair according to Mr Kent, who lifted Ms Kennedy up to spin her around and attempted to jerk the phone from her hands.

Under cross examination, Mr Kent was grilled by the prosecutor on the pair’s on again, off again relationship he described as being “categorised by mistrust”.

The Daily Telegraph and Fox Sports host told the court he believed the pair had largely separated before she called him the day before the alleged incident.

“She asked if she could come around for a hug. I said: ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea’ … we continued to talk and she cried a little harder,” Mr Kent said.

Mr Kent was found not guilty of all three charges.

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