Webster: ‘I’ll fight this’
Breakers star plans “vigorous” defence to assault charges.
New Zealand Breakers basketball star Corey Webster has broken his silence on his assault charge.
The 28-year-old was arrested at a Takapuna nightspot early Wednesday morning. He has since been charged with assault and is set to appear in court on Tuesday.
Webster missed Friday’s home defeat to Illawarra after a club suspension for breaching the side’s values.
Breakers general manager Dillon Boucher said the one-match ban was a result of being out late during game week and his communication with the club after the incident.
Yesterday, Webster was back in the fold and is expected to play for the Breakers against Melbourne United in Australia tonight. At Auckland Airport, as he prepared to fly out with the squad, the Tall Black insisted he would “vigorously” defend the assault charge at North Shore District Court.
“For sure, I will be defending the allegations,” he told the Herald on
Sunday. “I’m just glad to be back playing again.
“It was quite frustrating on Friday as I couldn’t help the team, and I had to support them from the sidelines.
“The club has supported me 100 per cent and I am grateful for that but I can’t say anything much more about the situation at the moment.”
Tamehana Maru, the man allegedly assaulted by Webster, told Fairfax on Friday he was at the Takapuna Bar with a friend on Tuesday night when a fight broke out. He didn’t realise Webster was a sports player. Maru alleged he suffered a bruised rib and split lip.
Boucher said Webster told him he had no involvement in the incident.
“He advised us that he hasn’t assaulted anybody, so, right now we support him 100 per cent, and he will defend this vigorously in court.”
It isn’t the first time Webster has made headlines off the court.
In 2011 he was cut by the Breakers after receiving a 12-month suspension for testing positive for synthetic cannabis in his second drug offence.