Television personality Ryan Phelan has pleaded not guilty to assaulting his girlfriend inside their home, in his first public appearance since the alleged incident.
Phelan, 45, is charged with assaulting girlfriend Chelsea Franklin on Saturday, June 20, a day after it was announced he had been sacked from his Channel Seven job.
Phelan hired one of Sydney’s top barristers, Margaret Cunneen SC, to defend him, but was represented by for his first appearance at Manly Local Court by glamorous solicitor Claudette Chua.
Ms Franklin did not appear in court for Tuesday’s brief mention of the matter.
Outside court Ms Chua spoke on behalf of her TV star client, saying Phelan had been ‘cooperating with police’ and slammed Ms Franklin for her alleged ‘false allegations’.
Television personality Ryan Phelan has arrived at court in his first public appearance since he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend inside their multi-million dollar home
Phelan hired one of Sydney’s top barristers, Margaret Cunneen SC, to defend him, but was represented by for his first appearance at Manly Local Court by glamorous solicitor Claudette Chua ()left
Television personality Ryan Phelan has denied physically attacking his girlfriend Chelsea Franklin the day after it was announced he had been sacked from his Channel Seven job
‘Mr Phelan has been cooperating with police. He respects and understands that the police, and the courts, have an obligation to take any allegation of domestic violence very seriously,’ she said.
‘False allegations of domestic violence are extremely serious, they result in the total unacceptable victimisation of the accused person, and they also are unhelpful to women everywhere.’
Before entering the plea of not guilty, an exhausted looking Phelan sat quietly inside Manly Local Court next to Ms Chua.
Phelan’s girlfriend Chelsea Franklin last week claimed the impact of Phelan’s sacking from Channel Seven on June 19 led an argument that saw her report him to police.
Phelan’s girlfriend Chelsea Franklin has said the impact of Phelan’s sacking from Channel Seven on June 19 led an argument that saw her report him to police. She is pictured at the couple’s home
Ms Franklin told Daily Mail Australia her 45-year-old boyfriend’s alleged assault of her on June 20 had been a ‘horrible mistake’ and said she ‘still loves him’. She is pictured leaving the home she shared with Phelan the day after he was charged
Ms Franklin broke down in tears last Tuesday when she spoke of Phelan being charged the previous day with attacking her in the couple’s northern beaches home.
The dance teacher told Daily Mail Australia her 45-year-old boyfriend’s alleged assault of her on June 20 had been a ‘horrible mistake’ and said she ‘still loves him’.
An apprehended violence order to protect Ms Franklin from Phelan has been applied for by police.
Ms Franklin, 44, said two of the couple’s daughters – both from previous relationships – were inside their Frenchs Forest home when the alleged assault occurred between 5.15pm and 5.25pm.
The incident came the day after Phelan was made redundant from his job hosting Channel Seven’s afternoon show The Daily Edition alongside Sally Obermeder.
Ms Franklin said it had been a ‘tough week’.
Chelsea Franklin (pictured) has broken down in tears and told of her ‘devastation’ after her she was allegedly assaulted by her TV star boyfriend Ryan Phelan at their Frenchs Forrest home on June 20
Neighbours in the street said they had had never heard any kind of disturbance at the home
She had filed a complaint at the insistence of her teenage daughter, who went to the police station with her on the day of the alleged assault.
‘I’m gutted, I’m devastated, I’m shattered,’ Ms Franklin said. ‘I’ve lost my lover, I’ve lost my boyfriend – I love him.’
Phelan has hired top Sydney barrister Margaret Cunneen SC to represent him
‘It was just a horrible mistake really, we’ve had a wonderful two-and-a-half years together, nothing like that has ever happened before.
‘Obviously with what’s going on with him being made redundant and there’s a couple of other personal issues I had and he had, and I think it just took its toll.
‘I love Ryan, he’s an amazing person… its been a tough, tough week, but he’s been an amazing person to me and I love him. It’s just a horrible mistake.’
Phelan has since moved out of the home, while his daughter is understood to now be living with her mother.
As part of his bail conditions Phelan must not assault or threaten, stalk, harass or intimidate or intentionally or recklessly destroy or damage property that belongs to Ms Franklin.
Court papers state Phelan has no history of violence and no criminal record.
Ms Franklin said she had some brief communication with her boyfriend over email on the day after the incident but did not know where he was living.
She was upset but physically all right and repeatedly said she hoped the pair could work through their issues but admitted she ‘did not know’ if Phelan felt the same.
‘I’m gutted, I’m devastated, I’m shattered. I’ve lost my lover, I’ve lost my boyfriend – I love him,’ Ms Franklin said of Phelan
Asked where Phelan was staying she said: ‘I have no idea.’
‘We had some emails yesterday. I don’t know if [the relationship] is salvageable right now but I’m sure he still loves me and it was just a horrible mistake.
‘I worry about him more than anything, I’m devastated. I didn’t want any of this to happen, I wanted it to be a private matter.
‘I haven’t slept all night. I wake up and I feel worse for him.’
Neighbours in the street said they had never heard any kind of disturbance at the couple’s home.
Pictured: The $2.16million home Phelan and Franklin bought together in Frenchs Forest
Two police officers attended Phelan and Ms Franklin’s home on June 23
Phelan’s bosses at Channel Seven reportedly had no idea an incident had occurred until after he worked on both The Daily Edition and 6pm news two days after the event.
Sunrise news reader Natalie Barr said on-air last Monday her former colleague would not be returning to TV screens.
‘Ryan Phelan won’t be returning to Seven,’ she said. ‘The network was unaware of the incident until notified last night.’
Phelan had gone about his job as usual on that Monday, even agreeing to fill in for sports reader Mel McLaughlin on the nightly news.
His Daily Edition co-host Obermeder addressed the incident at the start of last Tuesday’s show, admitting she had been ‘shocked’ by the allegations.
Phelan and Ms Franklin purchased their lavish Frenchs Forest home earlier this year (living room pictured)
‘Before we go on, I want to address Ryan Phelan’s absense from the program,’ she said.
‘Ryan will not be returning to The Daily Edition due to the serious allegations made against him.
‘The Network was unaware of these allegations until notified last night.
‘We were all understandably shocked by the allegations, but as the matter is now before the courts we will not be commenting further.’
Phelan and Ms Franklin began dating in April 2018, three months after his whirlwind romance with high-class escort Samantha X (real name Amanda Goff) ended.
He will be represented by solicitor Claudette Chua when he appears in court on Tuesday.
Channel 7 program The Daily Edition, which Phelan (left) hosted with Sally Obermeder, was last week axed by the network