Shaun Kenny-Dowall's ex 'asked Roosters for money' before domestic violence claim

Shaun Kenny-Dowall and his partner Jessica Peris in a photo sourced from his Instagram @skennydowall SUN 19Jul15.

The partner of Kiwi league international Shaun Kenny-Dowall allegedly went to the Sydney Roosters asking for money before she made domestic violence allegations against him, a court has heard.

Kenny-Dowall high profile lawyer Chris Murphy told a Sydney court that Jessica Peris, the daughter of Australian Olympic gold medallist turned Labour senator Nova Peris, approached the Roosters after the pair separated.

He added it was also a month before she told police Kenny-Dowall had allegedly attacked her seven times between October 2014 and June 2015.

Kenny-Dowall has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges including assault occasioning actual bodily harm and six counts of common assault.

He was also charged with stalking, harassment and ¬destroying property and was not required in court.

Mr Murphy told the court the only physical injury Ms Peris, a sprinter, had was a bruise on her arm which she had told a friend was caused by dropping a weight while training.

He also said there were thousands of text messages between the pair but none showed Ms Peris complaining of violence or Kenny-Dowall threatening her.

"These two people lived more by text message than together," he said.

He said some messages were salacious and talked about "personal things" in the bedroom.

"Let's get this case finished and get him back on the footy field," Mr Murphy said.

The court heard Ms Peris had been in the US for four months and her four-year-old son was in the care of relatives interstate.

The matter was set down for a hearing in March.

- news.com.au