Young gun Kerem Bulut's dress sense defiance in court
Katherine Danks
The Daily Telegraph
April 07, 2011 12:00AM
Young Socceroo Bulut, who has been charged in relation to violent crimes and is allegedly a member of a Sydney criminal gang, wore a hoodie emblazoned with the motif of a gun when he attended Burwood Local Court yesterday.
Bulut was applying to have his passport returned so he could play for FK Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic competition.
The 19-year-old striker was forced to surrender his passport in November last year after being charged with five offences including membership of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement, a criminal organisation.
Bulut was among five people arrested in raids by police last year.
It's alleged four other youths armed with knives attacked two men in a carpark at Auburn on August 15, 2010.
Police said the same alleged victims were attacked again at Bondi Beach shortly before the arrest. They alleged this attack was carried out by Bulut and three other teenagers.
Magistrate Christopher Longley returned Bulut's passport following an application by Bulut's solicitor Nick Boyden that his client be allowed to fulfill his contractual obligations with FK Mlada Boleslav.
The prosecution said it did not oppose the application because the charges were likely to be reduced.
Mr Boyden said his client would likely only face one charge.
In a letter to the court, FK Mlada Boleslav sports director Ladislav Minar asked that Bulut be allowed to return to his team, with which he has not played since August.
"Kerem is a young professional with undoubted talent representing one of the outstanding sporting talents in his chosen field in his age group in Australia," Mr Minar said.
"He has the opportunity to further his career and with this will come economic rewards we believe will further distance him from those negative influences around him."
Bulut's absence had "considerably disadvantaged" the team, currently placed fifth.
In a second letter, a spokesman for Football Federation Australia said Bulut would benefit from a return to discipline, training and teamwork.
Bulut also needed his passport to be eligible to play for the Young Socceroos at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia in July, it said.
"Allowing Kerem to resume his career will present him the much-needed opportunity to separate himself from his current situation," wrote John Boultbee, head of national teams and football development.
"We are aware of the need for him to be in a stable, supportive situation, away from less positive influences."
Mr Longley ordered Bulut to return to Burwood Local Court next week to provide the dates during which he would be out of Australia.
