Warriors star guilty of assaulting teenager in nightclub

Warriors star Josh Curran has avoided conviction after pleading guilty to assaulting a 16-year-old in an Australian nightclub last year.

According to the Daily Mail Australia, Curran pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and appeared in Port Macquarie Local Court yesterday.

Curran’s defence lawyer Paul FC McGirr spoke of his client’s character and said he has “never been in trouble before”.

McGirr also raised concerns about how the conviction could affect Curran’s career as a “well-known” professional athlete.

The assault reportedly happened on October 2 last year at the Level Up Nightclub in Port Macquarie on the north coast of New South Wales.

The court was told Curran, 24, was there with relatives on the night of last year’s NRL grand final.

Between 3am and 3.30am, the teenager asked to speak with Curran near the nightclub toilets to get away from the loud music.

As the pair exchanged social media information to keep in contact, Curran noticed that the teen had been photographing and filming him without his consent.

“My client told the young person he didn’t trust him and then there was a melee where one strike occurred which has caused blood to the mouth,” McGirr said, according to the Daily Mail Australia.

McGirr added that the altercation was “unfortunate” and an “isolated incident”.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Garry Rowe revealed the victim was “more than happy to not give evidence”, and the conviction was in the hands of Magistrate Greg Grogin.

The Warriors backrower was placed on a 12-month good behaviour conditional release order.

Curran also had charges of reckless grievous bodily harm and larceny withdrawn and dismissed.

Port News reports Curran will also replace the teenager’s lost phone.

Grogin said that although the offence was proven, without opposition from the prosecution, Curran was not being convicted.

The charge should be a “wake-up call” for Curran, Grogin added.

“The eyes of the world are on you and wherever you go people are going to have mobile phones and will be filming you.”

McGirr was satisfied that the outcome was just.

“The magistrate and the police were extremely sensible in the way they dealt with this matter and that’s why he was given no conviction,” he said.

“Now Josh can move on with his life and do what he does best.”

The Warriors have been approached for comment.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission