Carl Hayman (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), who played 45 tests for the All Blacks and two games for the Māori All Blacks, has been convicted of assaulting his wife in an incident in late 2017.
Hayman, who lives in France, was handed a four-month suspended prison sentence in the criminal court of Pau. The assault against his wife, former TVNZ presenter Natalie Crook, led to her taking three days off work in December 2017.
As well as that incident, he was also found guilty of psychological damage, nuisance calls and insults. Crook decided to file a complaint in October 2018.
“It’s inexcusable,” Hayman told local newspaper La République des Pyrénées, before admitting that since retiring from rugby in 2015 he had developed serious problems with alcohol and gambling. It comes after Hayman was fired from an assistant coaching role in Pau after an altercation with several players on New Year's Eve.
According to his lawyer, Hayman is now ‘totally abstinent’. He has also reportedly separated from Crook and is planning to return to New Zealand.
Hayman had been assisting fellow former All Black Simon Mannix in Pau since 2016, after playing 145 games for Toulon in the French Top 14. He had previously been at English club Newcastle after a career in New Zealand that saw him play for Otago and the Highlanders.
Pau has a strong New Zealand connection; they currently have seven Kiwi players in their squad including former All Blacks Colin Slade and Tom Taylor. Conrad Smith also played 52 games for the club after his retirement from test rugby in 2015.
NB: If you are concerned about someone who may need help -
contact the Family Violence Helpline 0800 456 450
or Shine Helpline 0508 744 633.
