REVEALED: Golf course where Kerri-Anne Kennerley's late husband fell and became paralysed is owned by her friend and a former Olympian - as they get set for a messy lawsuit
- John Kennerley became paralysed aged 75, when he slipped off balcony at club
- Kerri-Anne Kennerley's late husband's lawyers suing Coffs Harbour golf course
- Lawsuit seeking unspecified damages, costs and interest against the company
- The owner of the golf course is Peter Montgomery, 69, a former Olympian
The owner of the golf course being sued after Kerri-Anne Kennerley's husband was paralysed there is a friend of hers, it has emerged.
John Kennerley fell from a balcony at the Bonville International Golf Resort on the evening of March 6, 2016, fracturing his C3 and C4 vertebrae on the garden bed 57cm below.
He was paralysed from the neck down and died in March this year, age 78.
Kerri-Anne Kennerley's husband John was partially paralysed after he fell into a garden bed at a Coffs Harbour, NSW, gold resort, a court heard
Lachlan Murdoch and Peter Montgomery (right) share a beer while attending the ceremony to announce the Flag Bearer for Australia at the Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony at the Golden Tulip Hotel on February 6, 2014 in Sochi, Russia
His estate is suing the golf club's parent company for unspecified damages over 'negligence' - but the club denies any wrongdoing.
Now it has emerged that the owner of the golf course is Peter Montgomery, a former Australia water polo player.
The 69-year-old served as chairman of the Australian Olympic Committee from 2001 until 2016.
He was a friend of the Kennerleys and had hosted them at the golf club, owned by his property company, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
But since the lawsuit, Ms Kennerly and Mr Montgomery's relationship is being tested, the newspaper reported.
Mr Montgomery declined to comment to the Telegraph but Ambassador of Bonville Golf Resort John Eales said he was a man 'of the highest integrity.'
Last month the golf course blamed the accident on Mr Kennerley's 'own negligence'.
The resort's lawyers alleged in a NSW Supreme Court filing that Mr Kennerley had failed to look where he was walking and if he was injured, it's his fault - at least in part.
John Kennerley fell some 57cm into a garden bed and fractured his C3 and C4 vertebrae at the above golf course
'The defendant says if the plaintiff suffered injury, loss and damage as alleged, such injury, loss and damage was caused or contributed to by the plaintiff's own negligence,' the document said.
The court document - the defence's response's Mr Kennerley's lawyers' statement of claim - alleged John had been negligent in four ways.
The defence alleged he failed to look where he was walking, failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to take care 'not to step onto an object' - a prize that was on the floor - and was negligent by stepping into a garden bed.
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The golf club said it wasn't liable for Mr Kennerley's alleged injuries as it hadn't been negligent and the risk of his fall was unforeseeable.
A fuming Kerri-Anne Kennerley told News Corp this week that the lawsuit was part of a long battle with insurers.
'John and I survived for three years but other people could not and that does actually make me angry,' she said.
'Whatever the circumstances are, for an accident for any insurance company to drag something out for almost three-and-a-half years is despicable.'
KAK told News Corp this week it is just the latest chapter in her battle with insurance companies over the incident
In a statement of claim, Mr Kennerley's lawyers argued a 'reasonable person' in the golf club's position would have taken precautions to stop people getting hurt.
The lawyers said Mr Kennerley was attending the club for a charity golf event with his wife that day.
About 7.30pm, he sat down at a table on the edge of a verandah overlooking a garden with two other people.
An hour-and-a-half later, the two guests left and asked for a photo with Kerri-Anne and John.
'In order to participate in the photograph, (Mr Kennerly) arose from his chair, took 1-2 steps back and to his left to stand behind his wife,' the statement of claim said.
'His left foot stepped on the edge of the verandah (adjacent to the garden bed) causing him to lose balance and fall.' The case continues.
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