Final charge against Tom Starling dismissed

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BJ
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by BJ »

It’s pretty ridiculous that Police could lay such serious charges without supporting evidence, provide the media with statements about Starling attacking female police officers as late as last week and doubling down on the seriousness of all the charges at every opportunity.

Let’s hope it doesn’t effect Starling the way it affected Scott.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Northern Raider »

greeneyed wrote: January 21, 2021, 11:29 am So the CCTV footage and body cam footage can't have been too helpful to police. Given the way Tom looked afterwards... you have to wonder what happened there. I guess we will just have to wait to see...
Makes you think so but of that was the case why not drop all charges? Taking even this minor charge to court will bring such footage into the light.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Finchy »

Northern Raider wrote: January 21, 2021, 2:26 pm
greeneyed wrote: January 21, 2021, 11:29 am So the CCTV footage and body cam footage can't have been too helpful to police. Given the way Tom looked afterwards... you have to wonder what happened there. I guess we will just have to wait to see...
Makes you think so but of that was the case why not drop all charges? Taking even this minor charge to court will bring such footage into the light.
I would assume if all charges are dropped, they'd be open to a civil lawsuit for unlawful arrest, unlawful detention, unlawful use of force (assault), etc. Looks like they've put all their eggs in one basket (being the minor offence) in an attempt to justify the arrest, detention, and use of force. I dare say they'll still lose the whole thing at court and being facing a civil lawsuit regardless, ala Curtis Scott, and be down another $400K in compo.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by hrundi89 »

I don't think we should assume the damage was necessarily from the police.

Could be wrong of course but I'd assume his mob and the other mob were already going at it by the time the police started dealing with it.
You may remember me from such forum usernames as hrundi99 and... hrundi99.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by BadnMean »

Who was it who used to say imagine for a moment, if you will, my surprise?

You know how some jurisdictions give you a breakdown of where your taxes go- eg. $130 to schools, $143 to healthcare etc. Well there's only about 5 million taxpayers in NSW and they are paying about $15-$20 each JUST for police to brutalise people and then whack on their Bull "resist" charges... That's ON TOP of the 4.8 billion over a few years they already pay for NSW police services...
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Raider Azz »

hrundi89 wrote: January 21, 2021, 3:10 pm I don't think we should assume the damage was necessarily from the police.

Could be wrong of course but I'd assume his mob and the other mob were already going at it by the time the police started dealing with it.
by all the reports the other mob WERE the police hrundi...
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Botman »

BadnMean wrote: January 21, 2021, 3:18 pm Who was it who used to say imagine for a moment, if you will, my surprise?
Can’t remember his name
But I know he was extremely smart, funny, handsome, and he was a highly respected and liked member of the community
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Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by BJ »

Raider Azz wrote:
hrundi89 wrote: January 21, 2021, 3:10 pm I don't think we should assume the damage was necessarily from the police.

Could be wrong of course but I'd assume his mob and the other mob were already going at it by the time the police started dealing with it.
by all the reports the other mob WERE the police hrundi...
So that’s what Sting and the other members of the Police, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have been up to.

Instead of touring with their band they’re off punching out Raiders players at birthday parties. Wang Chung would never do this.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by simo »

Botman wrote: January 21, 2021, 3:55 pm
BadnMean wrote: January 21, 2021, 3:18 pm Who was it who used to say imagine for a moment, if you will, my surprise?
Can’t remember his name
But I know he was extremely smart, funny, handsome, and he was a highly respected and liked member of the community
Na it wasnt hbomb
Dont delete this GE
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Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by gangrenous »

Botman wrote:
BadnMean wrote: January 21, 2021, 3:18 pm Who was it who used to say imagine for a moment, if you will, my surprise?
Can’t remember his name
But I know he was extremely smart, funny, handsome, and he was a highly respected and liked member of the community
Edit - damn it simo beat me there
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Northern Raider »

Finchy wrote: January 21, 2021, 2:38 pm
Northern Raider wrote: January 21, 2021, 2:26 pm
greeneyed wrote: January 21, 2021, 11:29 am So the CCTV footage and body cam footage can't have been too helpful to police. Given the way Tom looked afterwards... you have to wonder what happened there. I guess we will just have to wait to see...
Makes you think so but of that was the case why not drop all charges? Taking even this minor charge to court will bring such footage into the light.
I would assume if all charges are dropped, they'd be open to a civil lawsuit for unlawful arrest, unlawful detention, unlawful use of force (assault), etc. Looks like they've put all their eggs in one basket (being the minor offence) in an attempt to justify the arrest, detention, and use of force. I dare say they'll still lose the whole thing at court and being facing a civil lawsuit regardless, ala Curtis Scott, and be down another $400K in compo.
I doubt that's the case. Plenty of people get detained then released without charge.
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Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Elcaptcroker »

Northern Raider wrote:
Finchy wrote: January 21, 2021, 2:38 pm
Northern Raider wrote: January 21, 2021, 2:26 pm
greeneyed wrote: January 21, 2021, 11:29 am So the CCTV footage and body cam footage can't have been too helpful to police. Given the way Tom looked afterwards... you have to wonder what happened there. I guess we will just have to wait to see...
Makes you think so but of that was the case why not drop all charges? Taking even this minor charge to court will bring such footage into the light.
I would assume if all charges are dropped, they'd be open to a civil lawsuit for unlawful arrest, unlawful detention, unlawful use of force (assault), etc. Looks like they've put all their eggs in one basket (being the minor offence) in an attempt to justify the arrest, detention, and use of force. I dare say they'll still lose the whole thing at court and being facing a civil lawsuit regardless, ala Curtis Scott, and be down another $400K in compo.
I doubt that's the case. Plenty of people get detained then released without charge.
Most of them dont have the money or social status to do anything about it


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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by BadnMean »

Northern Raider wrote: January 21, 2021, 4:48 pm
I doubt that's the case. Plenty of people get detained then released without charge.
True. But the % released with a face full of bruises and lacerations for their trouble might be slightly more inclined to pursue some sort of corrective action. I'd be really, really annoyed if the police insinuated I was trying to grab a gun and wreak mayhem in a lunch bistro myself.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by gerg »

BadnMean wrote:
Northern Raider wrote: January 21, 2021, 4:48 pm
I doubt that's the case. Plenty of people get detained then released without charge.
True. But the % released with a face full of bruises and lacerations for their trouble might be slightly more inclined to pursue some sort of corrective action. I'd be really, really annoyed if the police insinuated I was trying to grab a gun and wreak mayhem in a lunch bistro myself.
Maybe the veal was 'to die for'?

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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Sterlk »

I wish the police had enough integrity to refrain from pursuing something that footage proves was completely false.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Roy Rover »

hrundi89 wrote:I don't think we should assume the damage was necessarily from the police.

Could be wrong of course but I'd assume his mob and the other mob were already going at it by the time the police started dealing with it.
His lawyer said that the CCTV shows the police punching and elbowing him in the head while other police are restraining him.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by gangrenous »

What a joke. They’ll need a RLM rally soon.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by greeneyed »

Canberra Raiders star Tom Starling victim of 'brutal assault' by police, says lawyer





Tom Starling's lawyer has slammed officers who allegedly assaulted the Raiders star in the face during a brawl on the NSW Central Coast. Singh-Panwar said the CCTV footage from the restaurant showed Starling being punched and elbowed to the face by police while restrained.

"The essential part of the defence case is what we consider a brutal assault by police," he said. "I can only speculate that they [the police] simply didn't consider any of the evidence before laying charges; in particular, they didn't view the CCTV footage or they were not aware it existed during the time of laying charges.

Read more: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/raider ... 56vuz.html

https://7news.com.au/news/crime/nrl-pla ... -c-2000684

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 095e9d02bf
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by bonehead »

punches would've hit most people in the chest

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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Botman »

And these **** have the gall to try stick him with some minor charge when the arresting officers are under investigation?

Christ, i dont what to tell these idiots how to do their job, but if the police charge a guy with a raft of charges, that on review you not only have to drop every significant charge but then open an investigation into the arresting officers for misconduct, the best thing to do at that point, would be to drop all charges and issue an apology to the accused in hopes that they might be so releived it over that they let sleeping dogs lie.

Honestly. No wonder these **** idiots are being taken to the cleaners to the tune of 90m over 4 years for unlawful behaviour by the force.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by greeneyed »

The prosecutors persisting with the charge of hindering police is ridiculous. It can only be a vain attempt to suggest that there was some sort of vague excuse for the behaviour of the police. There is something very wrong with the culture of the NSW Police.

This has now happened to a Raiders player, while in NSW, twice in the past year. They are probably fortunate, relative to the average Joe, in that the players have their club to support them, and they have access to good legal representation. Imagine what happens to those people who can't afford a decent lawyer.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Begbie »

Just imagine all the stuff they have got away with before the days of constant cameras.

The judge should throw the last charge out and admonish the police, especially if they are under an internal investigation over the arrest.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Begbie »

Botman wrote: January 21, 2021, 7:19 pm And these **** have the gall to try stick him with some minor charge when the arresting officers are under investigation?
There are many memoirs from retired police in Australia that paint a terrible picture.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Botman »

Yep, its impossible to view the events of the Starling and Scott situations and not think of how many poor bastards have been stitched up by the NSW police and simply dont have the motivation or means to fight bogus charges.

Disgraceful stuff really.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Lui_Bon »

Begbie wrote: January 21, 2021, 7:38 pm
Botman wrote: January 21, 2021, 7:19 pm And these **** have the gall to try stick him with some minor charge when the arresting officers are under investigation?
There are many memoirs from retired police in Australia that paint a terrible picture.
Ha! have a read of Neddy Smith's book...
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by BJ »

Even in Canberra I’ve seen Police deal with the identical situation completely different depending on whether the kids were public school Kambah students or private school inner north kids.

Only because they’re concerned how a wealthier and connected Dad would react.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Lui_Bon »

BJ wrote: January 21, 2021, 9:21 pm Even in Canberra I’ve seen Police deal with the identical situation completely different depending on whether the kids were public school Kambah students or private school inner north kids.

Only because they’re concerned how a wealthier and connected Dad would react.
I don't at all doubt your reflection on the cops, but I will point out that their are precisely no Inner North private schools. apart from the Boys Grammar kinder thing in Campbell. They are all in south canberra, or radford in bruce, or burgmann in gunghalin.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Begbie »

Lui_Bon wrote: January 21, 2021, 9:17 pm
Begbie wrote: January 21, 2021, 7:38 pm
Botman wrote: January 21, 2021, 7:19 pm And these **** have the gall to try stick him with some minor charge when the arresting officers are under investigation?
There are many memoirs from retired police in Australia that paint a terrible picture.
Ha! have a read of Neddy Smith's book...
I'm sorry, you must have misread me, I agree with you!
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Lui_Bon »

Begbie wrote: January 22, 2021, 12:16 am
Lui_Bon wrote: January 21, 2021, 9:17 pm
Begbie wrote: January 21, 2021, 7:38 pm
Botman wrote: January 21, 2021, 7:19 pm And these **** have the gall to try stick him with some minor charge when the arresting officers are under investigation?
There are many memoirs from retired police in Australia that paint a terrible picture.
Ha! have a read of Neddy Smith's book...
I'm sorry, you must have misread me, I agree with you!
Sorry I thought I was backing you up - any way the point remains - it's um, er, ya can't trust the establishment (in these traumatic and unprecedented times I don't want to be seen as completely dissing the establishment authority, ok?). But Neddy had no reason much to lie by that stage of his career...
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Finchy »

Northern Raider wrote: January 21, 2021, 4:48 pm
Finchy wrote: January 21, 2021, 2:38 pm
Northern Raider wrote: January 21, 2021, 2:26 pm
greeneyed wrote: January 21, 2021, 11:29 am So the CCTV footage and body cam footage can't have been too helpful to police. Given the way Tom looked afterwards... you have to wonder what happened there. I guess we will just have to wait to see...
Makes you think so but of that was the case why not drop all charges? Taking even this minor charge to court will bring such footage into the light.
I would assume if all charges are dropped, they'd be open to a civil lawsuit for unlawful arrest, unlawful detention, unlawful use of force (assault), etc. Looks like they've put all their eggs in one basket (being the minor offence) in an attempt to justify the arrest, detention, and use of force. I dare say they'll still lose the whole thing at court and being facing a civil lawsuit regardless, ala Curtis Scott, and be down another $400K in compo.
I doubt that's the case. Plenty of people get detained then released without charge.
The key words there are "without charge" (eg: pending further investigation).

Starling WAS charged, albeit with apparently bogus offences. Therefore he could argue he was unlawfully arrested, detained, and assaulted, as he never committed any of the offences he was taken into custody for or charged with.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Begbie »

The police making a public statement about reaching for a gun and highlighting she was female should go in Tom's favour considering they withdrew that charge.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by Northern Raider »

Finchy wrote: January 22, 2021, 7:04 am
Northern Raider wrote: January 21, 2021, 4:48 pm
Finchy wrote: January 21, 2021, 2:38 pm
Northern Raider wrote: January 21, 2021, 2:26 pm
greeneyed wrote: January 21, 2021, 11:29 am So the CCTV footage and body cam footage can't have been too helpful to police. Given the way Tom looked afterwards... you have to wonder what happened there. I guess we will just have to wait to see...
Makes you think so but of that was the case why not drop all charges? Taking even this minor charge to court will bring such footage into the light.
I would assume if all charges are dropped, they'd be open to a civil lawsuit for unlawful arrest, unlawful detention, unlawful use of force (assault), etc. Looks like they've put all their eggs in one basket (being the minor offence) in an attempt to justify the arrest, detention, and use of force. I dare say they'll still lose the whole thing at court and being facing a civil lawsuit regardless, ala Curtis Scott, and be down another $400K in compo.
I doubt that's the case. Plenty of people get detained then released without charge.
The key words there are "without charge" (eg: pending further investigation).

Starling WAS charged, albeit with apparently bogus offences. Therefore he could argue he was unlawfully arrested, detained, and assaulted, as he never committed any of the offences he was taken into custody for or charged with.
It's not an area 8 know much about TBH. Police dropping a bunch of charges but keeping one to avoid a potential civil suit just doesn't sound right.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by BadnMean »

Lui_Bon wrote: January 21, 2021, 11:24 pm
BJ wrote: January 21, 2021, 9:21 pm Even in Canberra I’ve seen Police deal with the identical situation completely different depending on whether the kids were public school Kambah students or private school inner north kids.

Only because they’re concerned how a wealthier and connected Dad would react.
I don't at all doubt your reflection on the cops, but I will point out that their are precisely no Inner North private schools. apart from the Boys Grammar kinder thing in Campbell. They are all in south canberra, or radford in bruce, or burgmann in gunghalin.
The ladies of Merici College will be outraged they were not included in your round of of potential police beating miscreants.
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Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by BJ »

Lui_Bon wrote:
BJ wrote: January 21, 2021, 9:21 pm Even in Canberra I’ve seen Police deal with the identical situation completely different depending on whether the kids were public school Kambah students or private school inner north kids.

Only because they’re concerned how a wealthier and connected Dad would react.
I don't at all doubt your reflection on the cops, but I will point out that their are precisely no Inner North private schools. apart from the Boys Grammar kinder thing in Campbell. They are all in south canberra, or radford in bruce, or burgmann in gunghalin.
You’ve misread my post. Private school kids (I won’t name the school) kids from inner north, event in Braddon.
Last edited by BJ on January 22, 2021, 8:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Raiders hooker Tom Starling has charges - including assaulting police - dropped

Post by BadnMean »

Seems like the police left the one charge there so they have something to bring to the table to negotiate with when they sit down with Starlings lawyer. If they chuck them all out they have to just walk in and beg for mercy. Now they can do it with a face saving fig leaf to offer up.
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