Why I punched Akmal: Jane's story | National News | Breaking National News in Australia
Why I punched Akmal: Jane's story
Aussie comedian Akmal Saleh is questioned by Good News Week host Paul McDermott where he tells Rockhampton people to "go get f-----".
The mum, “Jane”, phoned The Morning Bulletin after she read that Akmal was “angry with Rockhampton” for being punched during a visit to the city earlier this year.
Akmal claimed the mother accused him of being a pedophile while he was filming a skit with friends at the show.
Jane said she was only looking out for her five-year-old daughter and the four other girls she was looking after on the day.
She said Akmal and two other men, none of whom she identified as being famous, “left her worried” as they filmed the children on a ride.
“They were not lining up for any rides. They were simply filming children on the aeroplane ride.
“He was filming the girls. Not in a dirty way, but it was unnecessary. I told him politely: ‘You can’t do that’.
“It wasn’t like he was The Morning Bulletin. He wasn’t advertising, ‘Hi, I’m a comedian’. It was just three men filming little girls.”
Akmal claims the mother was rude.
He said he tried to tell the woman she had it wrong and offered to show her the tape.
Akmal said that instead of being polite, the woman told him: “Bulls---, you’re f---ing taping people’s children and you’re a pedophile, you dirty wog (expletive).
“I should have dealt with her much more rationally and calmly. I just said, ‘Go away you idiot’, and before I could finish she just whacked me really hard,” Akmal said.
Jane said that wasn’t how it happened.
“I asked him politely to stop and he just laughed at me,” Jane claimed.
“He told me to ‘f--- off idiot’. He was quite rude and quite abrupt.
“When he laughed at me and told me to f--- off, that’s when I hit him.”
Jane said Akmal “was offensive and got me wild”.
“He’s getting off very lightly. He was very abrupt, very rude. Everyone around him was getting angry. I just happened to be the one who spoke up.”
Akmal said as soon as he was punched in the face he and his mates decided to leave.
“We just bolted,” he said.
“I thought if we stayed we’d be lynched.”
Jane said Akmal could have avoided a black eye if he had stopped filming the girls when he was asked.
“After asking him to stop you’d think he’d realised he’d crossed the line and was offending people.
“He didn’t offer to show the video, he just laughed and said F off.
“If he’d just stopped filming when asked I would have let it go quite easily.
“But what provoked me was him laughing and saying ‘F off idiot’.
“Not only was he laughing when I was asking him to do something reasonable, he was laughing at me.”
Jane’s story has become hot property with national media, including Channel 9’s A Current Affair, which emailed The Morning Bulletin asking for Jane’s contact details.
The Rockhampton mother said she didn’t want to be identified because she feared assault charges would follow for attacking a celebrity.
Read more...
Akmal sorry for Rocky attack on TV
Do you think "Jane" has anything to apologise for? Leave your comments below...
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Posted by cqtiger from Kunwarara, Queensland
11 November 2009 9:08 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
it is a shame Jane had resort to assaulting him rather than calling authorities and having him arrested
Posted by phantomskippy from Rockhampton & Region, Queensland
11 November 2009 9:55 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
It must be a slow news day at The Morning Bulletin. 'Jane' said she doesn't want to be named due to concerns that she could be brought up on assault charges - a clear indication that she knows she was in the wrong, despite her claims that she has nothing to apologize for. The 'poll' is ridiculous as well - it's not as though Akmal went around punching the jaws of anyone who looked at him. He was confronted by a woman who seriously over-reacted.
Let it go, Morning Bulletin. You'd report a case of the runs if it meant you could get a week's worth of news out of it.
Posted by Rebecca_Green from Maroochydore, Queensland
11 November 2009 10:23 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
She should be charged with assault.
Posted by dunno from Mount Pleasant, Queensland
11 November 2009 10:53 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
good on you Jane, why call the authorities, what would they get from our unjustice system, a slap on the wrist and a dunces cap?
if i were there with you i would have probably sank the boot in as well for good measure.
we love our kids.
Just dunno, do u ?
Posted by geraint from Norman Gardens, Queensland
11 November 2009 11:12 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
cqtiger from Kunwarara (11 November 2009 9:08 a.m.), have him arrested for what? For laughing and swearing at her? That's what she punched him for - she said so herself. She may not have to apologise, but she should certainly face assault charges.
It doesn't matter if he's a celebrity or not, you can't just punch someone if they laugh and swear at you. I wouldn't call him a celebrity anyway - he's not funny anymore. He was funny when he first came out with a fresh routine, but he got tiring very quick. His appearances on Thank God You're Here and live shows show that he can't think on his feet, so it wouldn't surprise me if he just laughed and swore at her. But it wouldn't surprise me either if she swore at him and called him a pedophile. Pretty much his word against hers.
Posted by Amy_Breit from Blackett, New South Wales
11 November 2009 11:48 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
I think she did the right thing by saying something to him, as i have a son and do not appreciate people taking photos or filming him there are just to many people out there that do wrong by little kids, And if he then spoke to me like that i would have done the same... Not only was he filming Janes Child she was taking care of other peoples Kids and was responsible for them to... Dont Apologise for something you belive in...
Posted by Tracey from Kunwarara, Queensland
11 November 2009 12:42 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
He shouldn't be filming other peoples children..she should have called the authority's. Straight away. Sad to hear this all happened in front of children. They both should know better and be ashamed of themselves.
Posted by flash from Buderim, Queensland
11 November 2009 2:52 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Sorry but I really have to disagree with Jane. I went to a Akmal concert (not in rocky) two daysafter this happened and was in the front row. He actually came down when telling the story of this with the video camera and yes showed the people in the front row. Sorry Jane you are way off the mark with the truth. You can swear pretty good considering you said that you were polite. For those that couldn't see the footage he then played the audio and put it over the venue mic. Yes Jane 200 people then heard your lovely conversation swear words and all plus the punch noise. As they say there is two versions the truth and yours. I know which one I believe. Video footage didn't lie. Oh also Akmal did say to you on the video they didn't mean anything by it when videoing the ride they were on just trying to convey that kids do and can have fun. this was for the purpose of the skit.
Posted by Jason81 from Mount Morgan, Queensland
11 November 2009 3:13 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
When I was 25, I took photos of my niece on a kid ride and no one batted an eye on me. The ride owner even held the ride for me to take a few photos. (of course, I was with other family members anyway)
Some people need not throw accusations at every man taking photos of their relatives. You never know it might be their daughter or son or nieces and nephews on the rides along with yours.
The lady should of course be charged with assault. She should ask politely but if he refuse, call the police but then again, she need to think about how if he was innocent (taking photos of Rocky's show to compare with his own hometown's show for example). Wrongly accusing people can have consequences on you and yourself as well as the "victim"