Noah Balta charged with assault

[WilliamPowell]

Footage not good.

It's terrible to honest but I agree with you Willy, can't see there being jail time...

Would like to see all the CCTV footage not just the grab the prosecution wants the Magistrate to see

Think the footage makes it pretty clear why the Club handed out its penalty, said very little and moved on quickly

Well done RFC 

[RedanTiger]

Visited my brother in Mulwala today for a family lunch.

When I asked about this he told me the following:

Sorry.
The information I posted seems to have been pretty inaccurate.

The assault happened at the exit/entrance of the club (not inside).
The assault was obviously some time after the initial confrontation inside. (presumably what the argument outside was about between the victim and Balta's brother and a mate)
The victim was alone outside (not in a couple inside)

When the case goes again on April 22 I presume we will hear more, including about the causal incident between the victim and Balta's brother.

[RedanTiger]

Would like to see all the CCTV footage not just the grab the prosecution wants the Magistrate to see

The footage shows the full assault from start to finish.
You seem to be wanting other footage from inside that shows the cause of the assault.
That will only happen if/when Balta's defence is given to somehow mitigate.

[Tiger Khosh]

He is very very lucky his initial charge caused the guy to fall on his side and not directly backwards. Could have been much much worse if he cracked his skull onto the pavement.

Very very dumb dumb decision which was no doubt fuelled by alcohol.

[Diocletian]

Footage not good.

It's terrible to honest but I agree with you Willy, can't see there being jail time...

Dunno about that, magistrate basically said no-one is above the law and sounds like they'll be looking to make an example of him.
Also, NSW has the toughest one punch/assault laws in the country and introduced lock out laws that  pretty much destroyed Sydney's nightlife & killed Kings Cross over this kind of thing.

[Damo]

Agree Dio
It’s high profile and a perfect chance to make an example

[one-eyed]

Balta facing jail as CCTV of brutal assault is aired

By SEN
27 March 2025

Richmond premiership player Noah Balta is facing up to five years in jail after CCTV footage of him allegedly assaulting a man in Mulwala was played in court.

Vision played in court shows Balta run towards victim Thomas Washbrook, knock him to the ground before delivering repeated blows to his head on December 30 last year.

Prosecutor Jason Tozer told a court that the 27-year-old victim was lucky to be alive after being repeatedly punched and thrown during the alleged incident.

“Your Honour can see he becomes fully airborne and travels a metre or a metre-and-a-half,” Tozer said.

“It is only sheer luck that his head did not make contact with that concrete.”

Explosive vision of Noah Balta assaulting a patron in Mulwala in December.
The case has been adjourned until April 22.
The latest details tonight on @7NewsMelbourne 6pm and online: https://t.co/Fe10CqFviW https://t.co/cSbMxSzTze

— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) March 27, 2025
Balta will be sentenced on April 22.

The 25-year-old defender pleaded guilty to a single count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm which carries a maximum sentence of five years in NSW.

He was suspended by Richmond for the opening four matches of the 2025 season with Tom Morris reporting that he could return for the club’s Round 5 and 6 clashes against Freo and the Suns before he is sentenced.

The club’s reaction was slammed by Tozer.

“The action taken by the club is so minimal as to be irrelevant,” he said.

“The court must send a message to the community that this type of conduct is unacceptable no matter who you are.”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2025/03/27/balta-facing-jail-as-cctv-of-brutal-assault-is-aired

[Diocletian]

Apologies, it was the prosecutor who said it not the magistrate as per my previous post.

[eliminator]

Fact not a coward punch, not a prolonged episode of violence and an element of provocation hopefully saves him from jail.

[Damo]

Fact not a coward punch, not a prolonged episode of violence and an element of provocation hopefully saves him from jail.

Hopefully the video of the pig admitting to prior cases of this will help
Not to mention a grown man spruiking about wanting to party with 18yo’s

For all we know , Noah was doing everyone a favour

[one-eyed]

25 sec footage can be seen here: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/richmond-tigers/afl-2025-noah-balta-cctv-footage-of-alleged-assault-shown-in-court-potential-jail-time-for-premiership-richmond-defender-latest-news-video/news-story/df484f49c8656620cb60e992490aee29

-----------------------------------------

Premiership Tiger faces potential jail time as CCTV of alleged assault shown in court

Fox Sports
March 27th, 2025

The footage showed multiple people arguing in a car park before Balta ran at the man, pushing him to the ground and punching him.

His defence argued the incident was at the higher end of a mid-level offence, whereas the prosecution argued it was a high-level offence.

AAP reported prosecutor Jason Tozer told the court the 27-year-old victim could have been killed.

“Your Honour can see he becomes fully airborne and travels a metre or a metre-and-a-half,” Sergeant Tozer said.

“It is only sheer luck that his head did not make contact with that concrete.”

The court heard Balta has since completed an anger management program, a behaviour change program and abstained from alcohol since the incident.

His defence said Balta’s brother was involved in a confrontation when Balta “made a significant error in judgment”.

“It’s quite clear this offence is completely and utterly out of character for Mr Balta,” defence lawyer Belinda Franjic said.

Balta received a four-match ban from Richmond over the incident, which the prosecution argued was “so minimal as to be irrelevant”, and is eligible to return in Round 5.

However he is set to be sentenced on April 22, following Round 6.

[Andyy]

Seen the footage.

He's in trouble IMO.

Don't think it's a jail issue though.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

You can’t see it in the footage but he was clearly pushed….

[MintOnLamb]

If Balta is sent away I give up, a few love taps, nothing in it.

[Tigeritis™©®]

How many times was he punched? Didn't look like love taps to me.

Got to hand to the bloke getting repeatedly punched and still gets up to ask for more.

Like a bogan “rope-a-dope"