Byron Kelleher, former New Zealand rugby star, guilty of domestic violence

Former New Zealand and Toulouse halfback Byron Kelleher has been convicted of domestic violence by a Paris court, according to reports on Monday.

Kelleher was handed a suspended six-month prison term for committing domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend upon his return to France to visit their son. The 47-year-old is also obligated to pay a €1,000 fine, along with €800 in compensation to his ex-girlfriend.

The court determined that in June 2023, while under the influence of alcohol, Kelleher assaulted the mother of their son, striking her in the face and body. The ex-girlfriend testified that Kelleher dragged her down a corridor, pulling her hair.

“I don’t recognise the facts,” said Kelleher. “It’s not true.” He refuted allegations of being intoxicated and asserted that he does not have “a problem with alcohol.”

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“I drink like everyone else drinks,” he added. On the night of the crime, he said he had “had a few glasses of rose” with a friend. He claimed that his ex-girlfriend initiated the altercation, and he merely defended himself by restraining her wrists. “She broke my tooth,” he continued.

The former girlfriend, who lodged a complaint over a month following the incident, expressed feeling as though she “feared for her life.” “He scares me,” she said.

Kelleher, a veteran of 57 New Zealand caps, played four seasons with Toulouse in France. He gained recognition for his aggressive style of play, frequently opting to run rather than pass. In 2009, Kelleher had a prior encounter with law enforcement after a brawl in Toulouse stemming from a collision while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Additionally, he was briefly detained by police on October 2013 for “drunk driving” in Bordeaux. In 2017, he was fined 200 euros for property damage and domestic violence involving another woman in 2016.