Canberra Raiders hooker Tom Starling – accused of threatening and offensive behaviour after being refused entry to a Terrigal bar on the NSW Central Coast – has been banned from drinking alcohol.
The case of Starling, 23, and his brothers, Jackson, 25, and Josh, 20 was briefly mentioned in Gosford Local Court on Wednesday for a bail review.
The NRL player has been charged with one count of threatening or causing injury to a potential juror or witness and offensive behaviour after an alleged confrontation with a security manager at a bar on the Terrigal Esplanade between 8.34pm and 11pm on October 16.
Josh Starling is facing the same two charges and one count of resisting or hindering police.
Jackson Starling is charged with offensive behaviour and two counts of resisting or hindering police.
Defence lawyer Samar Singh-Panwar said Tom Starling, who did not appear in court, wanted to have his bail conditions changed, including his listed place of residence from Watson in the ACT to Avoca Beach on the Central Coast and allowing him to attend a wedding at a licensed premises.
His bail conditions include not drinking alcohol and not entering licensed premises.
Mr Singh-Panwar did not seek to have Starling’s ban on drinking alcohol lifted.
Magistrate Scott Nash agreed to the bail changes and adjourned the case to January 11.
According to a police statement, Tom Starling was with his brothers and Chelsea Balzan, 20, when they were refused entry to the Terrigal bar due to capacity limits.
Police claimed the group became agitated and threatened the security manager on several occasions before walking away.
Police attended a short time later and attempted to speak to the group before Starling and Balzan ran off. Starling’s brothers allegedly yelled and hindered police during their inquiries.
Balzan has been charged with one count of threatening or causing injury to a potential juror or witness.
Tom Starling and his brothers are also facing charges over an incident in December last year when they were allegedly involved in a brawl at the Shady Palms restaurant in Kincumber.
The Raiders player was initially charged with five counts of assaulting a police officer in the execution of their duty, one count of affray and one count of resisting or hindering an officer.
The prosecution dropped six of the charges without explanation when Starling appeared in court in January and he pleaded not guilty to the one remaining charge of hindering police.
Three charges against Josh Starling were withdrawn and he pleaded not guilty to two counts of assaulting police, one count of resisting arrest and one count of common assault.
Charges of assaulting police and affray against Jackson Starling were withdrawn and he pleaded not guilty to one count of hindering police.
A fourth man accused over the alleged brawl, Jessie Byrne, 21, had three charges withdrawn but still faces one count of assaulting police and one count of hindering police.
The Starling family, including the brothers’ parents, had been out celebrating a 21st birthday on the night of the alleged clash with police.
A hearing over this incident is listed to be held in May next year.
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