A magistrate admonished former AFL player Brodie Moles to "don't smile" on Wednesday as disturbing allegations of drunken assaults against his ex-partner were presented in Moorabbin Magistrates' Court. Moles, 40, is facing three counts of assault.
The court heard that in September 2016, Moles allegedly became enraged and began assaulting his then-girlfriend, Lilly Munro, after drinking heavily and becoming upset that he was not part of the Western Bulldogs' Grand Final team. The alleged attack occurred the day before his former team was set to play in the 2016 AFL Grand Final.
Moles, who played 17 games for the Bulldogs between 2010 and 2011 before being delisted, was reportedly "very heightened and upset" on the evening of September 30, 2016. According to allegations, he became angry with Munro over a song she was playing, then threw her onto the kitchen floor and proceeded to slap, hit, and kick her.
Munro's mother and stepfather reportedly witnessed part of the alleged assault through a glass door. The mother testified that she saw her daughter "cowering and screaming" while Moles stood over her, kicking her. When the mother shouted through the glass, Moles allegedly told her to "f**k off" and then punched through the glass panel, causing shards to embed in her chest. Moles sustained a severe cut to his arm during this incident.
Further allegations detail a separate incident on April 24, 2016, following a christening party. Moles, who had allegedly consumed free alcohol at the event and become intoxicated, reportedly grew jealous of other men Munro had spoken with. He allegedly took Munro away from the hall towards bushes, where he continued accusations of jealousy before hitting her in the face and causing her to fall. Moles then allegedly picked her up and threw her into a metal fence, which collapsed. He is accused of then pushing her head into the gravel, grinding her head into the ground.
Munro's sister and her husband, who were driving away from the hall, stopped when Munro called out to them. They found Munro with significant facial swelling and bleeding. She was sent to her mother's home.
An incident on November 13, 2017, also came before the court. Moles allegedly attended Munro's home and told her children they would be removed from her care and placed into foster care, or given to their biological fathers. He allegedly claimed he and "the church" had a plan to carry this out, causing distress to Munro and her children.
During Wednesday's hearing, Moles repeatedly interrupted proceedings, prompting Magistrate Matthew Page to order him to stop smiling and to cease his interjections. "I just think it's laughable, Your Honour," Moles was quoted as saying at one point. The magistrate stated, "It's not helpful to have a Greek chorus in the background chirping away. It's really distracting."
Moles has previously pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury. The police prosecutor argued that this was further evidence of Moles using physical violence to control intimate partners and demonstrated a pattern of behavior and a willingness to engage in violence when things do not go his way.
Moles, who was accompanied by a supporter, is contesting the remaining allegations. The hearing is scheduled to continue on Thursday.