DUSTIN Martin is facing potential criminal charges over his threats to stab a young woman with a chopstick in a Chapel St restaurant.
The Herald Sun understands that Richmond and AFL integrity investigators who today took a formal statement from the woman are now likely to recommend that the case be referred to the police, given the seriousness of the claims.
The woman is understood to have given the detailed statement to the AFL during a four-hour meeting at its Docklands HQ over the incident at the restaurant Mr Miyagi on Saturday night.
Sources close to the investigation have told the Herald Sun that further interviews are expected to be conducted today and tomorrow, before the league and club make a judgment on whether to keep the case in-house or whether it needs to be referred for a criminal probe.
But given the woman has been very explicit that Richmond star Martin threatened to stab her, it is believed it will most likely be referred to police.
Sources say the offence carries a maximum jail term of 10 years, though it is not expected Martin would get that if he was convicted.
In a vicious attack in front of dozens of diners, Martin is claimed to have raised a chopstick above the 30-year-old woman’s eye and threatened to stab her with it before slamming his open palm against a wall above her head.
The Tigers star had been drinking at all day music festival Stereosonic before heading to the venue with a friend.
He was seen drinking shots of sake before picking up chopsticks and disturbing other diners in the packed eaterie.
When he put the chopsticks in his mouth and pretended to be a walrus, the woman beckoned him over, told him diners knew who he was and that he should calm down.
Witnesses said Martin erupted with rage.
“Martin said: ‘Don’t tell me how to live my life, you’re gonna dob on me, are you?”’ according to one witness.
”He threatened ‘I’ll f------ kill you’,’’ one witness said.
Martin was eventually pulled away from the woman by his friend and the venue manager.
The victim complained to Richmond on Monday morning and in the afternoon Martin called her to apologise, saying he had “too much drink’’.
Richmond and the AFL have been probing the incident since.
