FORMER Saints star, Claus Lundekvam, pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman business partner.

The 37-year-old former club captain became “irate” with Karen Rogers when she visited his Chilworth home asking for money to pay the rent on a photographic studio they had set up.

Southampton Magistrates Court heard how, on April 16, Ms Rogers, who organised the Miss Southampton beauty contest, visited Lundekvam at his house, where he had been drinking.

He told her he wanted to seek help from Sporting Chance Clinic which offers sportsmen and women counselling and the pair agreed she would call them on his phone.

However, Lundekvam then accused her of deleting numbers from his phone and grabbed her by the wrist, saying: “You’re not going to ruin my life.”

The court heard how Ms Rogers, who was accompanied by her partner, reassured him that she wasn’t and he let go but, moments later, he asked them to leave before grabbing her by the arms and pulling her off the sofa and into a chair.

Lundekvam stepped back, but then pulled her up by her arms again and pushed her towards the door, where she fell. He then kicked the phone out of Ms Rogers’ hands.

Lundekvam, who pleaded guilty to one charge of common assault, was arrested and charged with the offence a week later when he attended a police station over a separate matter.

He was fined £500 and ordered to pay £100 costs.

The court was told that civil proceedings were now under way concerning other areas of the business between Ms Rogers and Lundekvam, who initially put in £25,000.

Prosecutor, Carl Anderson, said Ms Rogers had been “shocked and scared” by the incident.

His solicitor, Cliff Norris, said the former footballer was trying to sort his life out. Last year, Lundekvam was was convicted of drink-driving. He also remains on police bail in connection with a separate incident in which he was arrested for alleged possession of drugs.