Former Dundee striker Christian Nade has appeared in court accused of repeatedly battering his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kidnap an 11-month-old baby.
The Frenchman, who was capped by France at U/21 level and now plays for Dumbarton, denies assaulting Laura Kennedy on three separate occasions, including using a toy car as a weapon to beat her with.
He also denies battering her dad and leaving him and her mum scared and alarmed on Mother’s Day.
Nade, 33, was arrested and held in police custody pending his Paisley Sheriff Court appearance. He appeared handcuffed in the dock and pleaded not guilty to six charges, which are all said to have been committed between December 5 last year and March 11 this year, at addresses in Renfrew.
He denies assaulting Miss Kennedy at an address in Kirkaig Avenue, by striking her on the head to her injury on December 5. A second assault charge states he struck her on the head with “a boxed toy car to her injury” on December 12. On February 12 he is said to have assaulted her by striking her on the head.
Prosecutors claim the alleged assaults are aggravated by involving abuse of his partner.
Nade also denies behaving in a threatening or abusive way, by shouting and swearing at her and acting in an aggressive manner towards her, and threatening to kidnap a child, on various occasions between December 5 and February 2, in breach of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.
Prosecutor Colin Wilson said: “Part of the alleged conduct is that he said he was going to take an 11-month-old baby away on a plane and the mum of the child couldn’t do anything about it.”
Nade also denies placing her mum and dad, Ann and Lawrence Kennedy, in a state of fear an alarm, by acting in an aggressive and intimidating manner at a property in Tay Avenue, on Mother’s Day.
He further denies assaulting her 60-year-old dad by pushing him into a high chair, going head to head with him, punching him on the head, causing him to hit his head off a window and fall to the ground, and punching and striking him on the head.
Sheriff Tom Ward bailed Nade — who also played for Hearts, Raith Rovers, Hamilton Accies, Stranraer and Annan Athletic — with conditions banning him from approaching or contacting his alleged victims. Trial was set for May, with a pre-trial in April.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.