MMA fighter Junie Browning surrenders to Phuket Police

PHUKET: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Junie Browning turned himself over the Chalong Police yesterday afternoon.

Mr Browning walked into Chalong Police Station at about 2pm with his lawyer and filed a counter-complaint against Australian Simon Menzies.

Mr Menzies had already filed a complaint against Mr Browning after the pair became involved in a brawl in a bar in Karon.

The two men continued to fight at Patong Hospital, where they were receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the bar brawl, before Mr Browning absconded.

Mr Browning’s arrival came at the public request of the police, as he was wanted for questioning over the incident.

Capt Chianchai Duangsuwan confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that at no time had an arrest warrant been issued for Mr Browning as “it was not a serious case”.

Hoping to resolve the dispute without involving further legal action, police called Mr Menzies and his wife to come to the police station to talk with Mr Browning.

In order to avoid any further confrontation between the two, Chalong Police recommended that Mr Browning leave the police station while his lawyer negotiated with Mr Menzies.

Mr Browning’s lawyer offered to settle through payment of 15,000 baht.

The offer was rejected, as Mr Menzies claimed the damages to his bar cost at least 200,000 baht.

After 30 minutes of fruitless talks, police risked calling Mr Browning to return to the police station to speak directly with Mr Menzies.

The bar owner refused to budge, sticking to his original police complaint of Mr Browning attacking him and damaging his bar.

He also showed police wounds with stitches on his right arm that he said he sustained in the fight after Mr Browning allegedly struck him with a broken beer bottle.

However, Mr Browning maintained that he did not start the fight, and that he only fought back in self-defense.

Mr Browning also stuck to his police complaint against Mr Menzies for attempted murder, stealing his diamond earring and some money, and for trying to extort 300,000 baht from him over the phone in order to settle the dispute.

After the pair failed to reach agreement, Mr Browning flew to Bangkok last night in order to receive treatment at a hospital in Bangkok.

Mr Browning has several stitches to injuries in his head he said were sustained after he was struck twice from behind during the fight – once with a beer bottle and the second time with a glass mug.

He said that he originally planned to fly back to the United States on December 25, but now he was not so sure he would be able to.

Police will now continue their investigation into the two brawls, and Mr Browning and Mr Menzies will meet again in a rematch – but this time in court at a date yet to be set, the Gazette was told.