A man was elbowed and punched in a late-night altercation with Melbourne Storm star Shawn Blore and his brother, according to court testimony.
Naaman Mikhael, 31, who was allegedly the target of the assault and also accused of affray, had the charge dismissed on mental health grounds on Monday after a magistrate determined he did not initiate the violence.
Shawn, 24, and Dean Blore, 26, have both pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray following the alleged altercation outside a Lebanese restaurant on Sydney’s Little Hunter Street shortly after 2:30 am on July 7.
The altercation began when Mikhael was asked to leave the restaurant for behaving aggressively towards another individual, as stated in Downing Centre Local Court.
According to the 31-year-old’s lawyer, George Thomas, outside the restaurant, Mikhael was targeted by the Blore brothers while multiple other unrelated altercations occurred around the group.
Thomas stated, “The incident began with people pointing at him and saying things like ‘that’s him, that’s him.
The lawyer added that CCTV footage of the incident revealed “several altercations between various groups of people” occurring outside the restaurant.
Melbourne Storm Star Shawn Blore Accused in Late-Night Brawl Outside Sydney Restaurant.
He described the footage as “quite extraordinary to watch.” “In that context, [Mikhael] was attacked,” Thomas explained. “He has very little recollection of the events. He was concussed and in shock.”
Thomas added that his client was elbowed and punched, which led him to remove his shirt and lift a bollard from outside the restaurant over his head.
Magistrate Jennifer Price acknowledged that the prosecution’s case suggested Mikhael did not initiate the violence and may have been acting in self-defense initially.
“A scuffle broke out involving around 15 people,” she stated. “The facts suggest the co-accused stood over the applicant and assaulted him. It certainly appears that he was the one who suffered the worst of the confrontation initially.”
Naaman Mikhael’s Affray Charge Dismissed as Court Reviews Alleged Assault Involving Blore Brothers
The Blore brothers allegedly grabbed Mikhael by the collar, with one of them seemingly forcefully driving an elbow into his jaw after the two were seen “aggressively standing face to face and arguing,” the court heard.
The 31-year-old fell to the ground, and it was claimed that he was punched again before responding by picking up the bollard.
He doesn’t seem to have initiated the physical violence and doesn’t appear to have been the main instigator in terms of the escalation,” Price stated.
The magistrate approved an application to dismiss the charge against Mikhael and instead placed him under the care of a mental health professional.
The cases for both Blore brothers are scheduled to return to court in August.
Shawn Blore transferred to the Melbourne Storm from his previous team, Wests Tigers, ahead of the 2024 NRL season.
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