Paul Kent: Inside the footy journalist’s year from hell before video emerged of fight

Charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend, being stood down from his job and now making headlines for his involvement in a wild street brawl – Paul Kent has seen better days.

The past 12 months for the sports journalist has seen him front court on serious charges and lose his role on Fox Sport’s NRL360 on two occasions.

Amid the scandals, Kent has faced public scrutiny, with people directly confronting him in public and hurling insults. 

Kent’s latest debacle was captured on film outside the Three Weeds hotel in Rozelle, in Sydney’s inner west late on Saturday night.

The 54-year-old could be heard calling the other man, aged 35, a ‘doghead’ before a physical altercation ensued.

The 35-year-old has been charged with affray.

Kent first found himself in hot water back in May last year when he was charged with domestic violence offences against his ex-girlfriend , Lucy Kennedy.

Police had been called to his home in Lilyfield on a Friday morning following reports of an altercation between the pair.

Kent was charged with common assault and intentionally choking a person without consent. 

He was released on bail and pleaded not guilty to the charges on May 17.

At the time he pleaded not guilty, Kent told reporters outside Sydney’s Downing Centre he and Ms Kennedy had broken up the day before the alleged incident and he was ’embarrassed’ to be before the courts. 

Kent was stood down from Fox Sports and his writing duties at The Daily Telegraph following his charges.

Kent, who in the past has taken a strong stance against rugby league players being charged with similar offences, was asked at the time if his position had changed after being accused of domestic violence.

‘Look, I understand that, I’ve always understood that. It’s just the rugby league soap opera, that’s the way it rolls,’ he said.

‘It’s my day in the storyline right now. That’s fine, people are entitled to their opinions.’

Kent was eventually found not guilty of domestic violence allegations against his ex on December 12, following a two-day court hearing. 

The sports journalist, who drove limousines for a Sydney funeral business while he awaited trial, told reporters he was eager to return to a ‘normal life’ following his acquittal in December.

‘The judge accepted what happened to the point that my barrister was not even required to make a final summation,’ he said at the time.

‘It’s been seven months I’ve had to sit there and feel like I’ve been unfairly arrested [and] unfairly charged, and I’ve had to sit there and have our public reputation lacerated by people who have used it as an opportunity.

‘The truth is out there, finally. It’s been a big cost to me, it’s been a big set back in my life. But, we’ve all got our struggles in life.

‘This is my one currently, so it’s up to me now to regroup and get back to my normal life. I can finally leave this all behind.’

Kent had found himself the subject of criticism before he was acquitted, and copped hefty abuse online and in person.

Footage from an encounter in December shared to Instagram at what appears to be a pub showed one man harassing Kent.

He can be heard wrongly and maliciously calling the footy journalist a ‘rapist’, while filming Kent, who refused to engage with him. 

The allegation was completely false, and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on his Kent’s behalf or that there was any factual basis to the making of the allegation 

Things started to take a turn for the better when Kent returned to his role on Fox Sports in late February where he co-hosted broadcasts in the lead up to the NRL’s historic opening round in Las Vegas.

But Saturday night’s antics have seen him be suspended from his roles with Fox Sports and the Daily Telegraph again while his employers investigate the incident.

The footage from the brawl shows the two men arguing while bystanders tried to break them up.

The clash then spilled onto the road with Kent charging at the man before he was allegedly thrown into a tree, landing head-first in the gutter.

Other men could be seen trying to intervene in the clash. 

It’s unclear what sparked the fight. 

The 35-year-old man charged has been given conditional bail and is set to face court on June 7. 

NSW Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia no further charges have been laid at this stage.