The Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities star, who reportedly suffers from bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorders, stands accused of punching a cab driver during a ride through Sydney in December (11).
The 35 year old is also facing further legal woes in the U.S. after it was alleged he assaulted a clerk at a hotel in Miami, Florida in April (12). He pleaded not guilty to a battery charge, and also pleaded not guilty to charges of trespass and resisting arrest without violence stemming from another incident in Miami earlier in April, when he was accused of becoming abusive after being asked to leave a bar.
Newton is currently in America seeking professional help for his personal issues and his lawyer Chris Murphy returned to court in Australia without him on Monday (09Jul12) to request the Sydney assault case be adjourned for six months until the separate Miami charges are dealt with.
Magistrate Jane Mottley asked Murphy to update the court on proceedings in the U.S. involving Newton next month (Aug12), and during the hearing, the actor’s legal representative revealed the star is in a high-care facility trying to “make a difference to his life”.
He added, “I’ve got a man with mental illness being driven mad by this court. His redemption is a difficult, long path. He’s in a mental care facility under 24-hour supervision. He’s not going anywhere.”
Newton is reportedly set to face a Miami court on 25 July (12).
