- Maddie Studdon and Bree Brown broke up amid claims of 'cheating with a man'
uncertain
Studdon → break → man
- Lawyer's bombshell claim about why the allegations were made
-
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allegations → make → ?
Judge intervenes after prosecutor objected to key evidence
Published: | Updated:
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prosecutor → intervene → evidence
An NRLW star was allegedly motivated to accuse her former girlfriend of assaulting her because she had recently been convicted of domestic violence offences against the same woman.
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she → motivate → woman
Maddie Studdon went to police on February 19 to claim real estate agent Bree Brown had punched, slapped and bitten her during multiple attacks between November 2023 and August last year.
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Brown → go → November
Just 15 days earlier, Studdon had narrowly avoided being jailed over a series of domestic violence incidents which a judge said would have left Brown 'terrified'.
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judge → avoid → Brown
Studdon, who last played for the Dragons in 2025 and has represented Australia and NSW, was arrested on January 13 following a disturbance outside Brown's home.
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who → play → home
She pleaded guilty to one count of stalk/intimidation with the intention to cause physical harm and a second count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend Brown.
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She → plead → Brown
Brown first faced court the day after Studdon made domestic violence allegations against her, and was granted bail after it had initially been refused by police.
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it → face → police
Five days later, the 31-year-old pleaded not guilty to two counts of common assault, three of assault causing actual bodily harm and one of destroying or damaging property.
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old → plead → property
Police have since laid three back-up charges of common assault, to which Brown pleaded not guilty at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.
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Brown → lay → Thursday
NRLW star Maddie Studdon was allegedly motivated to accuse her former girlfriend of assaulting her because she had recently been convicted of domestic violence offences against the same woman.
uncertain
she → motivate → woman
(Studdon is pictured outside court on Thursday)
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Studdon → picture → Thursday
Studdon went to police on February 19 to claim real estate agent Bree Brown had assaulted her on multiple occasions in various places between 2023 and last year.
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Brown → go → year
(Brown is pictured outside court on Thursday)
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Brown → picture → Thursday
Brown was accompanied in court by her parents, a young brunette woman who sat next to her, sometimes holding her hand, and three other supporters in the public gallery.
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who → accompany → gallery
She has no criminal convictions, has never previously been charged with a criminal offence and, until these charges were laid, had never been brought before a court.
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charges → have → court
Studdon, who turns 32 on Friday, was set to give evidence via audio-visual link from another part of the court, but a judge ran out of time on Thursday to hear from her.
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judge → turn → her
Solicitor Melissa Huseyin tendered documents related to Studdon's domestic violence convictions and an apprehended violence order (AVO) imposed to protect Brown.
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Huseyin → tender → Brown
She said the material provided evidence of a motive for Studdon making allegations against her client, and noted none of that background appeared in the prosecution brief against Brown.
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none → say → Brown
Ms Huseyin had asked the officer in charge of the case, Constable Bailey Smith, if Brown disclosed her convictions and the existence of the AVO when she made her statement on February 19.
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she → ask → February
When police prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Dobson objected to the question on the grounds of relevance, Judge Chris Halburd said: 'How's it not relevant?'
Asked if he was aware of the specific offences Studdon had committed against Brown, Constable Smith said, 'Not off the top of my head, no.'
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Smith → object → head
Studdon (left) narrowly avoided being jailed over a series of domestic violence incidents which a judge said would have left Brown (right) 'terrified'
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judge → avoid → Brown
Studdon (above), who last played for the Dragons in 2025 and has represented Australia and NSW, was arrested on January 13 following a disturbance outside Brown's home
The court also heard evidence from a friend of Studdon's who insisted text exchanges between the pair were about her ordering an Uber for Studdon rather than buying drugs.
The earliest allegation against Brown is that on November 17, 2023, she grabbed Studdon around the neck and pushed her into a wall at Mercure Penrith, next to the Panthers Leagues Club.
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she → play → Club
Next, she is accused of dragging Studdon away from her friends and throwing a drink over her on August 31, 2024, at the beachside Northies venue in Cronulla.
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she → accuse → Cronulla
A more serious assault allegedly took place at Brown's family home at Green Point on the Central Coast after a wedding on March 16, 2025.
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assault → take → March
On that occasion, Brown is accused of punching Studdon in the face, cutting her lip and causing swelling to her mouth, as well as damaging the screen on her phone.
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Brown → accuse → phone
A fourth assault allegedly occurred on May 19 last year at Studdon's family home at Botany, south of the city, where Brown is accused of biting her thumb.
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Brown → occur → thumb
The final charge relates to Brown allegedly slapping Studdon's face on August 25 last year at her girlfriend's home at Eastlakes, also in Sydney's inner-south.
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Brown → relate → south
Studdon's friend Sian George, who only provided a statement to police on Thursday morning, gave evidence by audio-visual link about the alleged Green Point assault.
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who → provide → assault
Brown first faced court the day after Studdon (above) made domestic violence allegations against her, and was granted bail after it had initially been refused by police
Brown (above) has no criminal convictions, has never previously been charged with a criminal offence and, until these charges were laid, had never been brought before a court
Ms George was holding her newborn baby in her arms and was unsure whether to take an affirmation or oath.
'Whatever, oath's fine,' she said, before she was asked if she believed in God and replied, 'No.'
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she → face → God
Ms George said she had known Brown for about five years and Studdon for a year or two.
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she → say → year
She remained in contact with Studdon.
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She → remain → Studdon
Brown, Studdon and Ms George had been among the guests to attend a Central Coast wedding at North Entrance on March 15 last year.
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Brown → attend → March
After the wedding, Ms George went back to the bride and groom's house.
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George → go → house
Ms George said she received a message about 11pm from Studdon, who was with Brown at her family's Green Point home, saying something like, 'Sian, I need your help.'
Studdon later sent her a photograph showing blood all over her face and a cut lip, the witness told the court.
Ms George said she called an Uber for Studdon who arrived at the newlyweds' home between 12.30am and 1am while she was standing with her partner Josh outside the house.
'She got out of the Uber,' Ms George said.
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George → say → Uber
'She was quite distressed and scared.
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She → distress → ?
Her face was pretty much covered in blood.
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face → cover → blood
She had a cut lip.
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She → have → lip
Studdon (above), who turns 32 on Friday, was set to give evidence via audio-visual link from another part of the court but a judge ran out of time on Thursday to hear from her
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judge → turn → her
…and 27 more, not listed.
The Aporia
