Crowe may face damages claim over phone attack

ACTOR Russell Crowe is expected to be hit with a punitive damages claim this week after CCTV footage showed his alleged attack on a New York hotel worker with a telephone.

A blow-by-blow account of the assault accuses the Oscar-winning star of hurling a telephone at the clerk, then throwing a ceramic vase before taking a theatrical bow and assuming a karate stance, according to reports.

Much of the incident is understood to have been captured on security camera and witnessed by two hotel staff.