RL Star Anthony Gelling found not guilty of GBH against ex-partner

A Liverpool Crown Court jury of six women and six men found him not guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm following four hours deliberations.

30-year-old Gelling, who had told how he had acted in self-defence to stop Toni Mackey reversing into him in their 4 wheel drive Hyundai, put his head in his hands when the verdict was returned and was still weeping tears of relief as the jurors left the courtroom.

Speaking afterwards outside court the six foot four tall powerfully built athlete, “I am so relieved. I am just glad I had the chance to be heard and justice to be done.”

The New Zealander, who is planning to fly back to his homeland next week, added, “I just want to see my kids.”

The children, aged two and ten, are currently in New Zealand along with his ex-partner who gave evidence from there during the four day trial via video link.

Gelling, of Cronton Lane Mews, Widnes, has been playing for Leigh Centurians and was previously at Wigan Warriors, but was playing for Warrington Wolves at the time of the incident on February 6 last year.

Toni claimed that the “angry pills” he took - magnesium and zinc tablets - had affected him and described him as controlling.

The jury heard how the punch he threw as she sat behind the steering wheel broke bones in her nose and eye socket, chipped a tooth as well as causing a black eye and a cut over her right eyebrow.

Toni, who was going out for lunch, had refused to let him get their baby’s pram out of the boot of their car. He explained he wanted to get the pram so he could take their baby to collect the other child from school later that day in case she was not back in time.

The prosecution claimed it had been an act of aggression but Gelling told how he had been acting in self-defence when she continued to reverse and he was trapped by the driver’s door and an adjacent garage door and feared he would be injured.

He had gone out to get the pram while she was upstairs but she came out to the car and went past him and got in.

“She was already angry. She said “yes, like I’m going to forget to get my f….ing daughter.” When he said, “just in case” she replied, “Yes because a f…..ing useless mum can’t do it herself.”

Gelling said she started to reverse slowly. “I took a couple of steps back and when she kept reversing I moved to the side by the garage. I tapped on the rear window and told her to stop.”

He said there was a button inside the vehicle which opens the boot and he opened the driver’s door to push it.

Asked about that decision, he admitted, “It was a stupid decision. I should just have stayed out of the way.”

“The car lurched backwards and got my right leg knocking me off balance. I hopped onto my left leg and put my foot out and yelled, ‘Stop.’

“I just panicked, there was a lot of adrenaline. I punched her. I just wanted to stop the car. I thought I was going to be run over,” he explained. He added that he had not wanted to hurt her.