Leaving court: Newcastle's Andy Carroll
Newcastle striker Andy Carroll
has been bailed to live with club captain Kevin Nolan after
appearing in court charged with assaulting an
ex-girlfriend.
Wearing jeans and a dark hooded top, the Newcastle United
striker was driven away from Tynedale Magistrates' Court in Hexham,
Northumberland, in a people carrier with blacked-out windows.
He was charged with assaulting Laurie Henderson, an
ex-girlfriend, at her home in Ponteland, Northumberland, sometime
after 4.30am on Sunday.
Following an hour-long hearing he was granted conditional bail
to live with Nolan at his family home, also in Ponteland, a
15-minute walk from the complainant's address.
Magistrates agreed Carroll does not have to stay overnight at Mr
Nolan's home when Newcastle are playing. The player was told he
must not contact any prosecution witnesses.
Carroll, who gave his address as the Jesmond Dene Hotel,
Newcastle, will deny the offence and claims self-defence, the court
heard. The case was adjourned until January 10.
Carroll, 21, wears the club's famous number nine shirt and won
plaudits for his early season form.
Housemates: Newcastle's Carroll (right) and Kevin
Nolan (second left)
The striker had been touted for a place in Fabio
Capello's England squad after starting this Premier League season
in style with newly promoted Newcastle, particularly in hitting a
hat-trick in his side's 6-0 thrashing of Aston Villa in
August.
But Carroll has failed to hit the same heights since and found
himself benched for the Magpies' recent clash away at Manchester
City, leading Capello to look over him for last week's Euro 2012
qualifier against Montenegro.
A product of Newcastle's youth academy, Carroll put pen to paper
on a new five-year deal with the club earlier this month.
The Gateshead-born forward returned to manager Chris Hughton's
starting line-up for last Saturday's 2-2 draw with Wigan at St
James' Park.