Sharks player in court after bar brawl

Kyle Cooper of the Sharks during the 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby Sharks Training Session in Kings Park Stadium Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal on 23 February 2016©Muzi Ntombela/Backpagepix

Kyle Cooper of the Sharks during the 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby Sharks Training Session in Kings Park Stadium Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal on 23 February 2016©Muzi Ntombela/Backpagepix

Published Mar 30, 2016

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Durban - Sharks hooker Kyle Cooper was arrested at the weekend and appeared in court on Tuesday charged with assaulting a father and his daughter at a bar in the early hours of Sunday after playing the Crusaders on Saturday evening.

Cooper is on bail of R500 and will appear in the Wentworth court again this Friday.

The charges - one of common assault and the other assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm - relate to two incidents at the Wagon Wheel Saloon in Lighthouse Road on the Bluff.

He is accused of punching 19-year-old Camilla Johannessen after a verbal altercation.

Eyewitnesses said a bouncer had to intervene and pull him away.

The young woman informed her 42-year-old father, Donald, of what had happened and he confronted Cooper in the car park where, it is alleged, Cooper’s friends held him down while Cooper hit him.

Both family members laid complaints at the local police station and visited a doctor for forensic examinations detailing their injuries.

In an interview with The Mercury, wife and mother Cindy Johannessen said her husband had injuries to his ribs and face while her daughter had a cut inside her mouth. She said the family was consulting a lawyer “because we want to take this further”.

“He must pay for the costs involved,” she said.

Attorney Jacques Botha confirmed that he is representing Cooper. “The matter was adjourned to look at an alternative dispute resolution.”

He said his client had laid a counter charge of assault at Wentworth police station but it had “disappeared” and he was investigating why it had not been registered.

Cooper was a reserve for Saturday’s match but came out to play late in the second half.

Novashni Chetty, PR Manager of the Sharks said: “We are aware of the incident surrounding one of our players over the weekend. It is difficult to pass comment on an incident we know little about, knowing also that there are always two sides to a story, which is why we trust the judicial system to run its course and action will be taken, if needed, on the eventual outcome.”

The owner of the bar did not respond to a message asking for comment.

The Mercury

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