NRL: Prosecutor for the defence

Sea Eagles fullback Brett Stewart has been putting in his legal defence to a charge of sexual assault this week. Photo / Getty Images

Not many NRL footballers have had a Crown Prosecutor testify on their behalf in court, but Manly's Brett Stewart has.

Margaret Cunneen has prosecuted the state's worst sex offenders but she was on the other side of the courtroom in Sydney on Friday, telling a jury she believed Brett Stewart was innocent.

The Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor, who gave evidence "as a private citizen", spearheaded a set of glowing references for the Manly fullback, who denies sexually or indecently assaulting a teenage neighbour.

According to Sydney's Daily Telegraph, Ms Cunneen was followed into the witness box by Manly coach Des Hasler, who told the court Stewart was "an outstanding athlete" and a "tremendous role model".

Of the allegations, Hasler said simply: "It isn't true, it just couldn't happen."

Having sat outside the court for the past 10 days, Stewart's brother and Manly team-mate Glenn Stewart also had his turn, saying his "best mate" and girlfriend Jaime Baker "both went into their shells" after the allegations.

Stewart is accused of sexually and indecently assaulting a teenager outside his North Manly home after a booze-fuelled afternoon at the club's 2009 season launch.

The Crown alleges Stewart was highly intoxicated but Stewart told the court he was "in control" and remembered everything that happened.

The Telegraph reported Ms Cunneen told the court her three adult sons were close friends of Stewart and she had met him through family friends at the end of his first year playing for the Sea Eagles.

Ms Cunneen said she had socialised with Stewart but had never seen him drink to excess. The footballer was "a gentleman" and "refreshingly respectful" towards women, she said.

Referring to his prominent media profile, Ms Cunneen said people often approached him in public "including young women who are very, very keen to make his acquaintance".

"It's no novelty to Brett for that to happen and he deals with people very, very politely," she said. "Any allegation Brett Stewart forced himself on any woman or girl is completely inconsistent with the character of the young man that I know."

Hasler told the court all his players attended seminars on how to deal with conflict but even that education could not overcome some situations.

"Even when players are in the right, they are always portrayed as the antagonist," he said.

Earlier, Stewart pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the teenager outside his house on Sydney's Northern Beaches in March last year.

The girl says they spoke briefly before he tried to kiss her and grab her through her pants. Stewart denies the girl's version of events.

He told the court when he returned home from his club's season launch on the night of the alleged incident, he was approached at his front gate by a girl who looked about 13 or 14.

He said the girl asked if he was Brett Stewart and he made a negative remark about her smoking. He said the girl then grabbed his arm and told him she wanted a kiss. But Stewart denied kissing the girl and said he told her to leave him alone.