Nathaniel Mendez-Laing Denies Assault Charges Against Wife

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has denied assaulting his wife after appearing before magistrates over an alleged attack at the couple’s home.

The MK Dons winger, 34, is accused of assault by beating against his wife, Saira Mendez-Laing, at their luxury property in Shenstone, Staffordshire, in June.

Police were called to the address and Mendez-Laing, a former Premier League player with Cardiff City and Wolves, was arrested and later charged.

He appeared at Cannock magistrates’ court on Friday, arriving on crutches, and pleaded not guilty to one count of assault by beating. He spoke only to confirm his name, age and address.

The court heard that Saira, who is the mother of his child, was allegedly struck repeatedly over the head and suffered an arm injury during the incident. The confrontation was said to have started after a disagreement about a phone. Mendez-Laing denies any physical attack.

Charges were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service last month.

District Judge Joseph O’Connor granted the forward conditional bail and listed the case for trial in January next year.

International Career

Birmingham-born Mendez-Laing represents the Guatemala national team, qualifying through his mother and maternal grandmother, who were both born in the Central American country. He made 20 Premier League appearances for Cardiff City in the 2019/20 season, scoring four goals, before leaving the club in September 2020.

Personal Life

Off the pitch, Mendez-Laing and Saira were married in June last year. MK Dons marked the occasion by sharing a wedding photograph and a congratulatory message on the club’s official social media channels.

The League One side, currently 19th in the table, said it could not comment while legal proceedings are ongoing.