Former NRL player Nathan Merritt would have made people “fear for their safety” during a brawl outside a Sydney sports bar that left him bloodied and knocked to the ground, court documents have revealed.
The former South Sydney player was at the Madison Hotel in Surry Hills with a group of friends early the morning of February 16 last year when an altercation erupted between him and a group of unknown men.
Mr Merritt was left bleeding from the head and mouth with a ripped shirt following the brawl.
A regular person would have “feared for their safety” as the incident unfolded, court documents tendered to the court and seen by NewsWire state.
“(Mr Merritt) did use unlawful violence towards unknown victim by conduct such that a person of reasonable firmness, if present at the scene, would have feared for their safety,” they state.
The fight was sparked after security at the sports bar tried to remove an unknown man from the venue about 6am, the statement of agreed facts state.
The man instigated a physical altercation with a group unknown to Mr Merritt on Chalmers and Devonshire St before appearing to set his sights on Mr Merritt about 15 minutes later, gesturing “aggressively” at the former Rabbitohs player.
He managed to break free from the hold of security guards and advanced towards Mr Merritt, who had also begun to run at the man.
“At this point, (Mr Merritt) is captured running towards the unknown male,” the documents state.
Mr Merritt managed to throw a punch before he was knocked to the ground outside the Royal Exhibition Hotel.
His shirt was torn by a second unknown man who proceeded to punch him in the head.
Mr Merritt is captured on video going back up to the two men, with the second one again punching him in the head.
“CCTV shows (Mr Merritt) at this point, bleeding from his forehead and mouth, and his T-shirt ripped,” documents state.
“Security continues pushing away the unknown males.”
A third man also landed a punch to Mr Merritt’s face before security finally managed to break up the parties.
Mr Merritt walked over to Prince Alfred Park afterwards where he was stopped by police patrolling the area, who issued him and a few witnesses who had walked over with him an intoxicated move on direction, which he complied with.
He was arrested and cautioned at Mascot Police Station two days later when police phoned him and asked him to present himself to the station.
Mr Merritt has pleaded guilty to one count of affray.
The matter is next due before the Downing Centre Local Court on February 11.