Ex-Scotland rugby star 'attacked estranged wife and new partner' after bugging house to catch them together
The incident happened in 2015, a year after the pair separated
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Your support makes all the difference.A former Scotland international rugby star bugged his estranged wife’s home to catch her with her ‘new partner’, whom he filmed attacking, a court has heard.
Simon Danielli, who played for Scotland between 2003 and 2011, is accused of assaulting Olivia Danielli, a former model, and her friend Michael Browne – as well as damaging her mobile phone.
He is then alleged to have driven to his marital home and got rid of the electrical devices he used to bug her.
The 37-year-old, who also represented Scotland at both the 2003 and 2011 World Cups, married 29-year-old Mrs Danielli in 2009 before the pair separated in 2014, two years after he was forced to retire due to injury.
The former international stands accused of bugging his wife’s home to catch her with Mr Browne before throwing her to the floor and attacking the man he suspected Mrs Danielli was having a relationship with in March 2015.
Mrs Danielli also claimed he then chased Mr Browne in the street, thrown his wife’s phone away and filmed himself “on top of him [Mr Browne] kicking him and punching him”.
Defending QC Mark Mulholland however insisted the incident was “nothing more than a scuffle” and that the injuries to the man were caused when he tripped and fell while running away from Mr Danielli.
After the incident, Mrs Danielli says she then returned home after making sure Mr Browne was okay to find her husband “pulling wires out of the hall” which she told the court she believed were recording devices.
Mr Danielli has denied common assault and criminal damage in relation to his wife and her phone but admitted common assault of Mr Browne – although the assault was the result of a chase that caused him to fall.
The case continues.
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