A black footballer who came to Northern Ireland for a trial with Derry City was a victim of a racial attack, it was alleged in the High Court in Belfast yesterday.
A lawyer said three men went to Mr Romauld Mindoukna's home in Derry and subjected him to racial abuse as they attacked him.
"He believes his legs were targeted and were a deliberate focus of the assault in relation to his profession as a footballer," said barrister Ms Karen Quinlivan.
She was applying for bail for Mr Mindoukna (24), from Cameroon, West Africa, who is charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a brother-in-law of a local woman he married the previous day.
A Crown lawyer said the marriage caused some animosity in the woman's family. "She is only 18 and had known him for a matter of three weeks," he said.
"Police have instructed me there is now some issue about whether she was forced into the marriage."
Ms Quinlivan said although Mr Mindoukna's trial with Derry City was unsuccessful he was optimistic about signing for Irish League clubs Cliftonville or Bangor.
Mr Justice Coghlin adjourned the application but said he was of a mind to grant bail when police were satisfied about an address in Belfast where Mr Mindoukna could reside until his trial.