Ex-Blues star charged with assault

By Jonathan Barnes

FORMER Ipswich Town star Steve Sedgley has been charged with assault and a racial slur in Barbabos.

The ex-footballer's wife, Nicola, is also accused of assault following an alleged confrontation with three women on Sunday.

Sedgley, 36, who was the Blues' first £1million signing in 1994, appeared before magistrates in Barbados on Monday.

The former Town midfielder, who gave his address as Mount Standfast, St James, denied using a racial slur against three women - Wanda McClean, Kimberly Rock and Shelly Dear.

The charge against him accused Sedgley of using “offensive words which were intended, or which may reasonably be interpreted as likely to stir up, or were capable of stirring up, hatred against the Negro section of Barbados”.

He was also charged with assaulting Ms McClean and jointly charged with his wife, who is 33, of assaulting Ms Dear.

Chief magistrate Clyde Nicholls released both on $5,000 bail and they will return to the court on August 16.

Sedgley, a former England under-21 international, began his career at Coventry City and joined Ipswich Town from Tottenham Hotspur in 1997 for £1m.

Manager John Lyall's signing was a record for the club at the time and was the first time the Blues broke the £1m barrier for a player.

But he could not prevent Ipswich Town being relegated from the Premiership in his first season, 1994/95.

Sedgley made 125 appearances for the club, playing either in midfield and defence, and scored 18 goals.

He left to join Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1997 in a deal that saw defender Mark Venus going in the opposite direction.

The player was released by Wolves in 2001 and had a spell as player-manager of non-league side Kingstonian, which was his last known involvement in English football.

jonathan.barnes@eadt.co.uk