Williams cornered, punched before attack

Collingwood footballer Marley Williams was cornered in a nightclub toilet and punched in the face just minutes before breaking a man’s jaw with what was described as a “dog shot”, the Albany District Court heard today.

Studio 146 co-owner Malcolm Pages said Mr Williams, who he knew, had complained to him that he had been hit by one of three men who had confronted him.

Mr Pages said he asked the trio to leave the premises.

Mr Williams followed just seconds later and nightclub security cameras shows him punching one of the men with his left hand.

The man, Matthew Robertson, required a metal plate and screws to treat his broken jaw.

Mr Williams has denied a charge of grievous bodily harm.

Mr Pages said he had clearly heard Mr Robertson and his friend Ian Parry, who he also knew, call Mr Williams by name at different stages before and after the incident.

While both men claimed to be AFL followers and West Coast fans in their evidence yesterday, the men denied knowing who Mr Williams was before the incident.

Early in today’s proceedings, Mr Williams’ elder brother Codee said he had been at the nightclub and went outside after being told by a friend that his brother had been involved in an altercation.

He said a man without a shirt (Mr Parry) had shouted obscenities as his brother, yelling that the punch had been a “dog shot”.

Codee Williams recalled his brother looking “flustered” and “out of sorts” before the incident as a result of the confrontation in the toilet. He had pleaded with his brother to leave the scene after the incident at the front of the venue.

Mr Pages said Mr Parry had apologised to him for his behaviour as he left the nightclub.

He said he had written notes about the night soon after the incident and they had included his recollection of Mr Parry calling Mr Williams a “legend” and Mr Robertson telling him, “Marley just broke my jaw”.

Mr Williams’ lawyer Tom Percy said in his opening address that the toilet confrontation had been motivated by the fact that his client was a notable AFL player.

Nightclub security guard Rocard Nadarajah told the court Mr Parry and Mr Robertson had been “going on and on” at Mr Williams as they again confronted each other after leaving the venue.

Mr Nadarajah suggested Mr Williams had actually tried to hit Mr Parry and accidentally struck Mr Robertson.
The trial continues.