Earlier Wayne Carey Miami incident revealed
By Kelvin Healey, Stefanie Balogh, Liam Houlihan and Fiona Hudson
February 03, 2008 01:00am
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun
FORMER AFL great Wayne Carey spent time in a Las Vegas lock-up over a further alleged outburst of violence in 2004.
A citizen's arrest landed the disgraced star in custody in the US gambling city in October 2004, authorities revealed yesterday.
Carey has been in hiding since claims surfaced he smashed a wine glass in his girlfriend Kate Neilson's face in Miami last year and attacked two police officers.
Close friends said Carey believed he had done no wrong towards Ms Neilson.
Court documents show Ms Neilson, who is a model, tried to downplay the Miami incident 24 hours after it happened. She told US investigators the attack had been caused by a "simple misunderstanding of an earlier event in our relationship".
In a signed note to a US court, she wrote: "We have worked out our differences and reconciled. I do not wish to press any charges against Wayne and would feel much better putting this unfortunate incident behind us."
Carey spends night in lockup, but charge was dropped
Carey is believed to have been travelling with wife Sally at the time of the October 17, 2004, incident in Las Vegas.
The AFL great is understood to have had a time-share apartment in the gambling city.
The overseas trip was four months after Carey ended his AFL career because of a neck injury.
Sally Carey would not comment on the latest assault claims when contacted yesterday: "That's for you to investigate, I have nothing to say."
A Clark County Justice Court spokeswoman said Carey had been taken into custody one day and released the next.
"The charge was battery, it was a misdemeanour case. The DA (District Attorney) never pursued this case," she said.
Las Vegas public defender Jeff Banks said a misdemeanour battery charge could involve punching somebody, shoving them, pushing them down "or something like that".
The maximum penalty for such charges is six months in jail or a $1010 fine.
Mr Banks speculated law enforcement officials might have decided to hold Carey overnight instead of pursuing the case in court because he was an international visitor.
Carey's former teammates at the Kangaroos, where he left in disgrace in 2002 after having an affair with the wife of Anthony Stevens, also partied in Las Vegas in October 2004.
Police were called to Carey's Port Melbourne apartment last Sunday and subdued him with capsicum spray. Revelations of the incident in Miami followed.
Lawyer: Miami incident blown out of proportion
Carey's US-based lawyer, G. Eric Marshall, yesterday said of the Miami incident: "It's really been blown out of all proportion.
"There's a statement from Ms Neilson in which she says she has no desire to press charges.
"I really don't think there is much more I can add."
Friends of Sally Carey said during the week she was aware Carey was battling drug and alcohol issues, but would not restrict his access to their daughter, Ella.
The friends said Sally had insisted she had never been assaulted by Carey.
Sally Carey's father, Terry McMahon, said yesterday he had no qualms about Carey caring for his granddaughter.
"I don't have any concerns (for Ella or Sally)," he said.
Mr McMahon said he had not spoken to his daughter recently and his wife, Trish, confirmed their daughter had not discussed the latest allegations against Carey with them.
"We don't discuss any of that with Sally," Mrs McMahon said. "She is her person, she makes up her mind on things."
Carey is due to face the Miami-Dade County Court on February 15.
Ms Neilson was bubbly and upbeat when contacted. Asked how she was faring, she said: "Good thanks." She would not comment further.
Carey and his manager, Anthony McConville, did not return calls.
The former footballer is reportedly preparing to issue a joint statement with Ms Neilson this week.
Slain underworld figure threatened to kill Carey
Meanwhile, it has been reported that underworld boss Jason Moran once threatened to kill Carey after he grabbed his girlfriend's breast.
The incident happened in the mid-1990s when the footballer was drinking in a Melbourne bar frequented by underworld figures.
When Carey performed his offensive party trick - which on a later occasion landed him in court on indecent assault charges - a furious Moran told him: "Do that again, and I'll kill you."
Moran, who was later gunned down by crime rivals, became close mates with Carey.
The footballer ignored warnings from friends with police contacts about the danger posed by Moran and his crew who were under constant surveillance in the middle of an underworld war.
At the same time, Carey's sexual appetite was out of control. He was said to have sex with a different woman each day as groupies threw themselves at him.
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