Scottish Premiership footballer accused of campaign of abuse against girlfriend

A Scottish Premiership footballer has appeared in court accused of a campaign of abuse against his ex-girlfriend.

Kevin van Veen is accused of pushing her off a bed while she was pregnant causing her to fall to ground, forcing her to strip and stand naked during arguments, and repeatedly locked her in his home.

The St Mirren striker was arrested at Glasgow Airport on Tuesday, August 6. He appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Thursday, October 31.

Between September 1, 2021, and July 28, 2024, the 33-year-old is alleged to have controlled her by limiting her contact with family and friends, controlling her clothes, monitoring her activity on her phone and social media, and deleting messages and images from her mobile.

The alleged abuse is said to have taken place at properties in Uddingston, Inverclyde, and Bridge of Weir as well as on a trip to Cancun, Mexico.

The Dutch national is alleged to have repeatedly accused his ex of infidelity, repeatedly demanded personal information from her, repeatedly demanded she came to his house, repeatedly prevented her from sleeping, harassed her by calling her and her family and sending messages, sent offensive and threatening messages which contained false information, repeatedly turned up at her home and her family’s home uninvited, loitered there, refused to leave and peered through the windows.

He is accused of threatening to harm himself if the relationship ended.

The charge sheet also alleged he pulled down his ex’s clothing and underwear to expose her body without her consent, repeatedly locked her within his house, repeatedly followed her to the bathroom, repeatedly forced her to stand naked during arguments, repeatedly seized hold of her body and applied pressure to prevent her from leaving injuring her, forcibly slammed a pillow down close to her head, seized her body and twisted her injuring her, struck her body with his hand, causing her to fall against a wall and to the ground, and pushed her off a bed while she was pregnant causing her to fall to ground.

Van Veen, who signed a season-long loan deal with the club in August, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Thursday.

He entered no plea and the case was continued. He is due to return to court on November 28.

Van Veen previously played for Motherwell and Kilmarnock. He didn’t appear in the St Mirren squad on Sunday to face Rangers due to injury.

During a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson said the last few weeks had been his most challenging time as a manager.

It comes after St Mirren defender Shaun Rooney left the club by mutual consent after being charged with assaulting a teenager in a takeaway in Glasgow.

Rooney had been suspended last month after police confirmed that he had been arrested and charged in connection with an assault on an 18-year-old woman.

He is yet to appear in court.