Ex-Scotland captain admits harassing former partner

Former Scotland captain Colin Hendry has been handed a one-year restraining order after he admitted harassing his ex-partner and leaving her "unable to leave the house without fearing an unannounced visit".

The former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City defender, who led the national side at the 1998 World Cup, pleaded guilty to harassment without violence at Preston Magistrates Court.

The court heard he had sent repeated messages to his ex over a six-month period and turned up at her home with unwanted gifts on several occasions.

Hendry, of Land Street in Keith, Moray, was also ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months and attend a course to change his behaviour.

Speaking after sentencing, senior crown prosecutor Natasha Clark said Hendry had harassed his ex-partner between 29 May and 4 July 2024, after their relationship ended.

She said the former Premier League star had "ignored her wishes and breached boundaries she put in place" and his behaviour had been "intimidating and persistent, causing the victim immense distress".

"Despite this, he initially refused to accept it was harassment," she said.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the 59-year-old, who won 51 caps for Scotland and also played for Dundee and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, sent messages from several different email accounts and used "No Caller ID to call her after she blocked his number".

When his calls went unanswered, he sent dozens of emails and messaged her on the social media site LinkedIn.

A CPS representative said Hendry consistently attempted to contact his ex and showed up at her house despite her insistence she no longer wanted any kind of contact.

She reported him to the police and told officers his behaviour had made her depressed and anxious.

She added that she was "unable to leave the house without fearing an unannounced visit from him".

The representative said Lancashire Police warned Hendry about his conduct and told him to stop the unwanted communications.

They said Hendry had initially admitted his actions, but had denied they were harassment and claimed he had continued to contact her because he had not been given a written warning by police.

He also claimed he was "simply concerned for the affected person and her dog".

The CPS added that prosecutors and police worked together to prove Hendry's behaviour was harassment, which had left him with "no choice but to plead guilty".