NRL star's conviction for glassing girlfriend quashed

Greg Bird. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Disgraced rugby league player Greg Bird will walk free after a judge quashed his conviction for glassing girlfriend Katie Milligan in the face during an argument.

Milligan suffered a broken eye socket and cuts to her eye during an altercation at the former NRL player's flat in August last year.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Judge Michael Finnane today said he believed the evidence of Bird and Milligan that her injury was an accident, caused by an "agitated" and "irrational" Milligan lunging at him with a glass in her hand.

He also accepted Bird's claim that he had simply grabbed his girlfriend's wrists in a bid to prevent injury to himself.

But he said their decision to lie about the incident was "extremely foolish".

The judge said Bird lied in order to protect his public image, however, and not out of guilt.

Bird said he had tried to convince Milligan to tell the truth, but she did not think anyone would accept it, ABC Online reported.

"I didn't believe anybody would believe it was an accident - here's a guy who everyone wants to believe is an aggressive footballer," she said in her testimony.

"I didn't want his name associated with it in any way."

Outside the court, Bird said he was extremely relieved at the result.

"This has been a very very tough and arduous journey ... a weight has been lifted off our shoulders," he told Daily Telegraph reporters.

In April, the former Cronulla Shark and Australian representative was convicted of recklessly wounding his American lover and in June was sentenced to at least eight months jail time, with a maximum of 16 months.

Neither Bird nor Milligan gave evidence at the original hearing but, stunned by the conviction and minimum eight month jail term, testified during the District Court appeal.

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

On sentencing, Magistrate Roger Clisdell called Bird's crime "a despicable act and most unAustralian."

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 Milligan had never complained to police about the incident.

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

- AAP, NZ HERALD STAFF