Katie Milligan says she is “absolutely, 100 per cent” behind NRL star
boyfriend Greg Bird, who is accused of glassing her in the face.
Ms Milligan, 24, fronted Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court today in a bid to have an apprehended violence order against the Cronulla Sharks’ five-eighth lifted.
Police took out the order following an alleged glassing incident at the Australian rugby league international’s Cronulla apartment, in Sydney’s south, on August 24.
Ms Milligan, an American law student, suffered cuts and a fractured eye socket after being hit in the face with a glass.
Bird, 24, was stood down by his club after he was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm in relation to the attack.
Ms Milligan’s lawyer Philip Sim told Magistrate Julie Huber although his client wanted the AVO lifted, the application was being withdrawn following discussions with Bird’s legal team and police.
Under the terms of the interim order Bird, 24, is prohibited from making contact with Ms Milligan.
Outside court Ms Milligan, who concealed her scars with foundation and had coloured her blonde hair a darker shade, pledged her support to Bird.
Asked if she stood by him, Ms Milligan responded: “Absolutely, 100 per cent.”
“I definitely don’t want the AVO,” she told reporters.
She would not comment on whether she planned to move back in with Bird.
Because the order was taken out on Ms Milligan’s behalf, Mr Sim said the court did not have the power to lift it if the application was opposed by the police.
“They have indicated that they would be opposed to the application,” Mr Sim told AAP.
“If the police believe that a person is in need of protection they can apply for an order.
“Because of that, and because there are current charges pending, the likelihood of us succeeding was (doubtful).”
But Mr Sim said Ms Milligan wanted to place her opposition to the order on the public record.
“We just wanted to put our position that we didn’t want the AVO,” he said.
He would not be drawn on whether Ms Milligan would make the application at a later stage.
“At the moment we’re just going to wait and see what transpires,” Mr Sim said.
He said Ms Milligan was holding up well but missing Bird.
“She just wants to go back to the way things were prior to the incident coming to the notice of police,” Sim said.
The matter will return to court on October 9, when Bird’s lawyer will also make an application to vary his bail.
