Former All Black Byron Kelleher Found Guilty of Domestic Violence in France
Byron Kelleher, a former New Zealand rugby union player, has been found guilty of domestic violence in a French court. According to reports, the experienced scrum-half has been handed a suspended six-month prison sentence for an attack on his former partner after he returned to France to visit their son.
The court heard that the incident occurred while Kelleher was under the influence of alcohol. His former partner claimed he had dragged her through a corridor by her hair. While Kelleher denied the assault, the court ultimately ruled against him, ordering him to pay a fine of €1,500 as well as €1,200 in compensation to the victim.
This is not the first time Kelleher has faced legal troubles in France. In 2017, he was found guilty of domestic violence after being accused of damaging the front door of his own property while drunk, before attacking his then-partner. His lawyer had described the incident as a “dispute of lovers,” but the public prosecutor stated that the “violence was not colossal, but strongly existed” as they handed him a €250 fine.
Kelleher’s chequered past also includes a 2009 incident where he was involved in a brawl following a drink-driving collision in Toulouse, as well as being taken into custody in Bordeaux four years later for drink-driving.
The former All Black, who earned 57 international caps, will now have to serve his suspended sentence and face the consequences of his actions both on and off the field.
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