Footballer in court over 'gun threats' at nightclub

Published on Monday 25 May 2009 22:11

HEARTS defender Lee Wallace has appeared in court following an alleged gun threat at a nightclub.

Wallace, 21, the club's Young Player of the Year, was arrested at Lava and Ignite nightclub in Edinburgh in the early hours of yesterday morning.

It is claimed that the footballer threatened to shoot staff and refused to leave the establishment in the capital's West Tollcross.

Wallace is also charged with shouting and swearing, acting in a disorderly manner and breaching the peace at the club.

The left-back is also alleged to have become aggressive while being transported to St Leonard's police station and is claimed to have threatened police in the car and at the station.

Wallace appeared from custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court facing a total of three charges of breach of the peace.

He denied the charges and was bailed with the special condition that he does not return to Lava and Ignite.

Wallace, of Carrick Knowe Parkway, Edinburgh, will return for his trial in October.

The defender has now been banned by the nightclub involved.

Bill McGregor, who runs Lava and Ignite, said Wallace was refused entry at around 1am on Monday morning and police were called.

Mr McGregor, who is also chairman of Unight – a network of pubs and nightclubs in Edinburgh – said he will also look for Wallace to banned across the capital.

He said: "I called to police who were ten yards away. They were there in seconds.

"He was treated in the same way as everybody else.

"We have a very strict ID and door policy and turn away several people every night.

"He will be banned from Lava and Ignite for six months and I will be banning him from Unight."

A club spokesman said: "We have been made aware of an alleged incident involving one of our players.

"The club is carrying out its own full internal inquiry and will be speaking to the player concerned as part of that investigation."

The defender recently signed an extension to his contract with Hearts that will keep him tied to the club until 2012.

He had also been hotly tipped to win international honours with Scotland under his former manager, George Burley.

He has already starred for his country at under-19, under-20 and most recently under-21 level.

He was signed by Hearts in 2004 from Salvesen Boys Club after leaving Forrester High School, and was voted Hearts' Young Player of the Year only a few weeks ago at a dinner in Edinburgh.