League: Ex-Cronulla star Bird bailed ahead of appeal hearing

Greg Bird. Photo / Getty Images

Former NRL star Greg Bird has been granted bail pending his appeal against his eight month jail term for glassing his American girlfriend.

In Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Monday, Magistrate Roger Clisdell sentenced Bird to a minimum of eight months in prison for the attack on Ms Milligan.

Bird, who now plays in France, was in April found guilty of one count of reckless wounding and one count of making a false accusation to police over his attack on Katie Milligan.

Ms Milligan, who suffered a fractured eye socket and cuts to her eye at the former rugby league international's Cronulla apartment last August, is still in a relationship with Bird and is living with him in the south of France.

She refused to make a formal statement to police and both she and her parents provided Bird with character references.

Magistrate Roger Clisdell sentenced Bird to a maximum of 16 months in prison for the attack on Ms Milligan.

"It was a despicable act and most unAustralian," he said in his sentencing remarks.

Bird's supporters burst into tears and shook their heads in disbelief as the jail term was handed down.

The footballer was also fined $5000 for the charge of making a false accusation and placed on a three-year good behaviour bond.

In sentencing submissions, Bird's lawyer Leslie Nicholls had asked the magistrate to take note of the fact Ms Milligan had never complained to police about the incident.

However, Mr Clisdell said this was not unusual in cases of domestic violence.

- AAP