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Former Tiger Jake King to fight extortion charges

Ex-Richmond player King denies extortion charges.

Ex-Richmond player King denies extortion charges. Photo: AAP

Former AFL player Jake King is accused of threatening to shoot and break the legs of the business partner of his ex-teammate Ty Vickery, unless he paid him $150,000, court documents have revealed.

King, 33, appeared for his first hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court after being charged with numerous offences, including making threats to kill and inflicting serious injury, last July.

The charges relate to an alleged dispute between King’s ex-teammate at Richmond, Vickery, and Vickery’s former business partner at a restaurant in Melbourne’s east.

Ty Vickery celebrates kicking a goal for Hawthorn against Adelaide. Photo: AAP

Charge sheets revealed King is accused of threatening to shoot and break the legs of the business partner, and his family, between May and July of this year, if the man didn’t pay him $150,000 within a month.

King is also charged with threatening to kill the man or inflict serious injury at a location at Southbank, in inner Melbourne.

He is also accused of harassing the man on the same day via a carriage service, and again throughout June and in July.

During today’s hearing, King’s defence lawyer Geoffrey Steward indicated his client would fight the charges at a contest mention in January.

Magistrate Franz Holzer refused to release the police summary to the media after Mr Steward and the police prosecutor successfully argued against it.

Mr Steward said it would be unfair to King to release the full nature of the allegations publicly when some charges could be dropped before his next court appearance.

“For matters of that nature to be in the public forum … in circumstances where they might not see the light of day, [it] would operate as an unfairness and injustice,” he told the court.

King was arrested at the tattoo parlour he co-owns with former outlaw motorcycle gang member Toby Mitchell at Clarendon Street in South Melbourne.

He remains on bail and will return to court in January for a contest mention.

King made his AFL debut in 2007 at the age of 23 and went on to play 107 matches for the Tigers.

He was forced to retire midway through the 2014 season with a serious toe injury.

Vickery, 27, moved from the Tigers to Hawthorn at the end of 2016, but today announced his retirement from AFL.

ABC

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