Former All Blacks star Carl Hayman has been convicted of domestic assault in France and admitted he had a problem with alcohol.
According to reports by AFP , the ex-New Zealand prop appeared in a Pau court on Monday and was handed a four-month suspended prison sentence for domestic violence against his wife.
The 39-year-old, who won 45 caps for his country between 2001 and 2007, was prosecuted for several acts of physical violence on his wife between 2016 and 2018, including a "strong slap "which resulted in her missing three days of work.
He was also charged with psychological violence, malicious calls and insults. He has now separated from his wife.
"It's inexcusable. I had a problem with alcohol at the end of my professional playing career," Hayman said.
Hayman had finished his playing career in France in 2015, winning three European trophies with Toulon. After retiring, he took up a coaching role with Pau - being sacked in January after an alleged altercation with some players.
Hayman's lawyer, Christophe Arcaute, told the court: "He knows that he committed the irreparable.
"To recognise that he's an alcoholic, to admit his weaknesses in this particular environment, that doesn't happen.
"He is aware that the facts are serious. He is teetotal now."
