FORMER Super League and NRL prop George Burgess has appeared in court over a charge of sexual touching.
Burgess, 31, has pleaded not guilty to sexually touching another person without consent while at a woman’s home in Sydney in March 2022.
The former England international admitted to going to the home of the woman, whom he had known for over ten years, after agreeing to provide a signed jersey for a charity event.
A friend of the woman who pressed charges against Burgess, took to the witness stand at Downing Centre Local Court, saying: “She is quite a bubbly talkative person, she seemed a bit unsettled just from hearing her voice.
“He arrived, gave her the jersey and tried to kiss her,” the friend continued.
“She tried to deflect and get out of the situation, move to the kitchen and make a cup of tea, where he had followed her.”
The first part of the hearing took place in October 2023 with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, telling police: “I opened the cupboard and he’s turned around (and) grabbed me on the bottom.
“I froze on the inside and was just looking at the tea. He put a hand either side of my body and pressed right up against me. … I told him, ‘This is not going to happen’.”
She told police he “leaned back … put his hand down his pants” before telling her he loved her “juicy a**e”.
“I said, ‘Nothing is going to happen’. He said, ‘Stay and be naughty with me’. He tried to kiss me again … I said, ‘I’m a good girl and this isn’t happening’. He had a chuckle,” the woman continued.
The court was told the woman had messaged George Burgess and his brothers about the charity event, with the former responding on Snapchat though those messages automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Burgess, in the messages, apologised for the alleged incident and according to police told the woman he was “truly sorry for hurting her feelings”.
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