Channel Nine legend Ken Sutcliffe has blasted vicious rumours being spread by his son’s former boyfriend after the jilted lover was charged with stalking and harassment.
Trent Lynch, 53, is accused of using a carriage service to ‘menace, harass and/or offend’ the high-profile retired anchor’s only son Scott, 42 over four months from November to February.
Lynch is also charged with stalking his former partner on Valentine’s Day, ‘with the intention of causing fear of physical or mental harm’, court documents said.
Sutcliffe Jr and Lynch are said to have been together for 17 years before their recent break up. Lynch claims he was an intrinsic part of the Sutcliffe family.
But he has now threatened to blow the lid on explosive gossip – which is unsubstantiated and therefore cannot be published for legal reasons – and is offering to sell information to the media.
On Friday, former sports presenter Ken, who was a regular on TV screens for more than 35 years until he retired in 2016, snapped back at the scurrilous claims about his family.
Nine TV legend Ken Sutcliffe (pictured with son Scott in 2001) has blasted vicious rumours being spread by his son’s former boyfriend
Ken Sutcliffe (left) was a household name – spending more than 35 years at the Nine Network (above with Sylvia Jeffreys and Peter Overton). Now he has weighed on a matter involving his son
‘I don’t care what this man says,’ the 75-year-old father-of-three told Daily Mail Australia. ‘He is under arrest.
‘He’s been charged and he was arrested the other day for threatening our lives. That’s all.’
He added: ‘This is a private matter between my son and him.
Scott Sutcliffe (pictured) and Trent Lynch are said to have been together for 17 years before their recent break up
‘He’s obviously been told by the police that he has got to behave himself. He goes before the court in about another three weeks’ time.
‘I suggest you just wait to see what happens there.’
Lynch was charged on February 20 and will face court on March 7 in connection with the stalking allegations. His two court attendance notices both list him as female with no further explanation.
Police are also taking out an apprehended violence order on Scott Sutcliffe’s behalf against Lynch, who lives in Rushcutters Bay in Sydney’s east, which includes standard conditions that he not stalk or harass him.
Lynch is not charged with intimidating the rest of the Sutcliffe family.
Former Wide World of Sports host Ken Sutcliffe lives with his wife of 53 years, Anne, at their sprawling detached home in Putta Bucca, just outside Mudgee in the NSW central west.
Trent Lynch, 53, is accused of using a carriage service to ‘menace, harass and/or offend’ Sutcliffe’s son Scott, 42, (pictured) over four months from November to February.
Ken was nicknamed The Male Model from Mudgee in his 80s heyday after he started his career in the wine region town, but he was actually born 180km away in Oberon.
Ken retired from Channel Nine after a 50-year broadcasting career in 2016. He retired after a final stint reading the sports headlines on the Sydney newsdesk with host Peter Overton.
‘I will miss his warmth, friendship, sparkling smile and laugh, as will the millions who have got to know Ken so well over the decades via their TVs. Ken is a rolled-gold Australian television legend,’ Overton said at the time.
Ken’s son Scott is also believed to now live in Mudgee after recently relocating from Sydney.
Former Wide World of Sports host Ken Sutcliffe has been married to his wife Anne (pictured together in 2002) for 53 years
On Friday, a NSW Police Force spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia of the allegations against Lynch: ‘A 53-year-old man has been charged with the alleged harassment of a 42-year-old man.
‘Earlier this month, officers from Orana Mid-Western Police District received a report the older man had been sending the younger man numerous messages over a period of several months.
‘About 9.30pm on Monday 20 February 2023, police attended an address in Rushcutters Bay where they arrested a 53-year-old man.
‘He was taken to Kings Cross Police Station, where he was charged with stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (personal) and use carriage service to menace/harass/offend.’
Lynch was granted conditional bail and is due to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, March 7.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk