Vic: Pies' Brownlow medal fancy in court over bashing

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2009
Vic: Pies' Brownlow medal fancy in court over bashing

Eds: Please note language in 9th par

By Melissa Jenkins

MELBOURNE, Aug 31 AAP - AFL Brownlow Medal fancy Dane Swan has fronted a Melbourne
court over his alleged role in a "savage" bashing of a cleaner that left the victim "isolated"

and suffering nightmares.

A jury of six men in the Victorian County Court were shown closed circuit television
footage that they were told captured the Collingwood star along with VFL players Kade
Carey and Aaron Ramsay bashing cleaner Claudio Celano behind Melbourne's Federation Square
in the early hours of December 21, 2003.

Mr Celano's lawyer, Michael Heaton, QC, said his client was simply trying to be a good
samaritan and help his friend, security guard Jesse James, who was being attacked.

The footballers punched and kicked cleaner Mr Celano, who was much smaller than them
and covered his eyes begging them to stop, Mr Heaton said.

"The plaintiff was understandably scared and petrified," he told the jury of six men.

"CCTV footage (shows the) vicious, thuggish, savage and brutal assault."

The trouble began after Carey "body slammed" a moving car carrying several female passengers,
the court was told.

Two women got out of the car and ran across Federation Square. Mr James, accompanied
by Mr Celano, confronted Carey, and a fight ensued.

Mr Heaton told the jury a security guard listening to the two-way radio heard Carey
say: "You f*****' guys think you are bouncers or something".

"Come on, I'll have the lots of youse."

Mr Celano suffered a fractured left eye socket, nose and left cheek bone in the attack,
as well as chipped teeth, cuts to his shoulder and swelling.

He was in a rock band and had to pull out of a performance at the Albert Park Yacht
Club, which was to have launched his CD.

"You can imagine how miserable and painful Christmas was in 2003 for the plaintiff,"

Mr Heaton said.

Mr Celano was not granted any compensation from WorkCover because the attack occurred
during his lunch break.

He was forced to take time off from work, lost his job and had to apply for Centrelink
benefits, Mr Heaton said.

"In 2004, the plaintiff started to have nightmares and flashbacks about the assault," he said.

"As he became more isolated, in pain and not working and not playing music with his
mates and rarely going out, things started to slide."

The hearing before Judge Paul Lacava continues in the Victorian County Court.

AAP mj/jxt/cjb/cdh

KEYWORD: SWAN (FILE PIX AVAILABLE)

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