Warrior guilty of assault

Kiwis rugby league star Logan Swann was drunk when he assaulted a man in Queen St, a court in Auckland has been told.

Swann initially denied a joint assault charge after the incident in May last year, but when he faced an amended lesser charge of common assault in the Auckland District Court yesterday, he pleaded guilty.

He was remanded until February 11 for sentencing and so that restorative justice could be considered.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Robert Kennedy said Swann was intoxicated when he and two associates met his victim in Queen St about 6.15pm on May 4.

He said the victim and his friends joked with Swann about how he was a ball-juggler and about his tackling.

The victim asked Swann to show him a tackle and in a mock tackle Swann nudged him with his shoulder.

The man said jokingly that was not a tackle and Swann repeated the move.

After more jesting, Swann walked up to the man and nudged him off-balance. He wrapped his arms round the victim, twisting the man's upper body and throwing him backwards to the ground.
The victim was left injured and gasping for air on the footpath, where he was assaulted by Swann's associates, the court heard.

The man's right eye was swollen shut and the side of his face swollen and grazed. He was taken to hospital for observation.

- NZPA