chaser prank not funny
Chaser's prank 'not funny'
January 22, 2007 11:09am
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COMEDIAN Chas Licciardello pleaded not guilty to offensive conduct today for allegedly trying to sell fake knuckledusters and a plastic knife at a Bulldogs rugby league match.
Mr Licciardello, 29, a star of the ABC's satirical program The Chaser's War on Everything, appeared in Sutherland Local Court.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Michael Sinadinovic told the court that footage of the incident, outside Kogarah's Jubilee Oval on July 14 last year when the Bulldogs took on St George Illawarra, was shot by Licciardello's own film crew.
He alleged that Licciardello was standing outside the main entrance dressed as a Bulldogs supporter with a tray slung around his neck.
"On that tray were items which the accused was selling as part of a Bulldog 'supporters' kit'," Sgt Sinadinovic told the court.
"On that tray, there was foam rubber knuckledusters, a plastic knife, some tubes labelled as flares and some packages labelled rohypnol (a date rape drug).
"In trying to sell these items to the public ... the prosecution allege that what he was doing would be regarded as offensive to the reasonable person if they were present at the scene."
The court heard that to ensure security after recent incidents of crowd violence at Bulldogs' matches, more than 100 police officers - up from the usual 15 - were deployed to the game.
Police intervened for Mr Licciardello's own safety after one fan accosted him saying "go home, get a real job".
Inspector Darren Schott, who was present when Mr Licciardello was arrested, told the hearing he did not initially recognise him as a media personality and there was nothing to indicate that it was only a stunt.
Families with children were at the game and some of the items looked real, he said.
The officer said he knew the situation "was a set-up incident, a stunt".
"I didn't know it was a comedy sketch," he said. "It wasn't funny in my regards."
Mr Licciardello's lawyer, Stephen Russell, suggested "he was just having a joke, wasn't he?"
Inspector Schott replied: "I didn't think I saw a lot of laughing and joking when I was there".
Mr Russell said most people saw it as lighthearted.
"If we were to arrest all comedians because they make some sort of social comment, as indeed this man was doing in a satirical sense ... it would be a sad state of affairs," he told the court.
A decision in the case will be handed down tomorrow.
KIDDING!
