Titans star not guilty

GOLD Coast Titans rugby league player Daniel Sarginson has been cleared of assaulting a Burleigh Heads bouncer.

But in a twist, a security guard involved in the incident is now facing criminal charges.

Sarginson, 24, was yesterday acquitted after pleading not guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm in the Southport Magistrates Court.

The court found the English recruit acted in self-defence when he pushed a bouncer at the Burleigh Heads Hotel on June 24.

Police alleged Sarginson punched security guard Kurt Smith after a friend of Sarginson was denied entry.

In evidence, the Titans player said he was “fearful” of the security guards who said “come on let’s go” and pinned him to the ground after pushing him down a flight of stairs.

He said he also saw them set on his friend moments earlier.

Sarginson confessed to pushing Mr Smith in self-defence but denied punching him. “(Security) had completely manhandled my friend,” Sarginson said. “I thought: ‘What’s the chance it could happen to me?’.”

Mr Smith told the court Sarginson gloated about his salary, saying: “I’m on half a mil mate, I can do what I want”.

Sarginson told the this was “garbage”.

“I wish I was,” he said. court

The court heard Sarginson had been out with teammate Kevin Proctor and was trying to find him to leave after one of his friends was denied entry.

He told the court he was worried the situation would escalate. “Because I play rugby I know everything gets blown out of proportion,” Sarginson said. “Kevin is an A-grade player ... he has a huge profile and anything he’s associated with blows up even more than me ... I just wanted to get out of there,” Sarginson said.

The court heard Sarginson was pinned to the ground and sustained further injury to his shoulder, which had sidelined him for several games.

He was allegedly kneed in the back and punched in the face by a security guard, who the court heard had been charged following the incident.

Mr MacCallum argued the security guards had colluded before giving evidence.

“The evidence given by the security providers, at best, is unreliable,” he said. “At it’s worst it is simply untruthful.”

Magistrate Mark Howden said he believed the security guards had attempted to “minimise their actions”.

He cited the fact Mr Smith had changed his version of events and reported being punched some three days after the incident as evidence of unreliability.

Mr Howden said Sarginson’s actions were reasonable in the circumstances.