Police reveal seven people inside Sydney Swans hotel room as Chad Warner spotted, ‘Riley Bice not interviewed’
Police have revealed a major new detail about who was inside the hotel room that night, as the Swans face the fallout from the scandal.
Victoria Police have revealed they believe seven people were inside the Sydney Swans hotel room, as new reports reveal the player no longer part of the sexual assault investigation.
Detectives have now spoken to four people as part of the investigation into reports of sexual assault at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel on August 17, while three other men believed to have been in the room are being treated solely as witnesses.
Police said detectives travelled to NSW this week to speak to four people, including men aged 26, 30, 25 and 25 from Randwick, Maroubra, Randwick and Paddington respectively.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“That process has now concluded,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Riley Bice was not among those interviewed by detectives.
Police said detectives had also spoken to, or would speak to, three men believed to have been in the hotel room at the time of the alleged incident.
Those men are being treated solely as witnesses, police said.
“Police now believe they have identified all parties who were in the room at the time of the alleged incident and are not looking for anyone further,” the spokesperson said.
The statement means police believe they have identified all seven people who were inside the room at the time of the alleged incident, with no further people being sought.
“The investigation into the circumstances remains active and ongoing,” police said.
The development marks a change from previous reports that police were seeking to speak to all five Swans players stood down by the club in the wake of the incident.
Police said they do not expect to provide any further updates for about eight weeks and warned they would not provide a running commentary on the investigation or confirm information published by media outlets.
They also clarified that the investigation concerns reports of sexual assault under Victorian law, rather than rape.
The police update comes as Sydney Swans star Chad Warner was spotted out in Sydney on Wednesday.
Warner was seen loading bags into a car outside his Paddington home before later being dropped near Malabar and walking towards Maroubra Beach, in photos published by the Daily Telegraph.
He is one of five Swans players stood down for the remainder of the AFL season after the club’s post-match drinking session at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel on August 17.
The five players, Warner, Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon, were stood down by the club after the club’s CEO said they stayed out late, drank alcohol and invited women back to their hotel.
The players have denied criminal wrongdoing and no charges have been laid in relation to the police investigation.
The club’s suspensions relate to alleged breaches of team rules and are separate from the sexual assault investigation.
The Nightly has contacted representatives for all five stood-down players for comment.
The Swans are preparing to face reigning premiers Brisbane Lions in a qualifying final at the SCG on Saturday after their week off.
