FORMER Paris Saint-Germain starlet Antoine Conte has been sent to prison after his baseball bat attack wrecked a budding musician’s career.
Right-back Conte won six France Under-21 caps. He began his career with PSG before joining Reims.
Antoine Conte came up through the ranks with Paris Saint-GermainCredit: Icon Sport – Getty
The Paris-born defender, 26, has been with Israeli top-flight club Beitar Jerusalem since 2017.
But a French court handed Conte a three-year jail term for domestic violence on Tuesday. He will have to serve a minimum 12 months, with the remaining two years suspended.
The jury heard the player twice hit 19-year-old Liam Jean with the bat in 2016 after the student intervened in a row between Conte and his girlfriend.
A blow to the skull left him with impaired hearing as well as repeated migraines, stress and fatigue.
Jean told the Reims hearing: “I had to give up my career as a musician.
“I can no longer move my left hand as before, and can’t play the piano any more.
Conte left PSG in the search for first-team football with ReimsCredit: AFP – Getty
“I heard cries for help, and had to intervene. He has been able to carry on playing football, and hasn’t been punished.
“There was no dialogue with him – he just came out with insults.”
Prosecutor Pedro Teixeira dubbed Conte ‘odious’ and ‘cowardly,’ blasting him for leaving his victim injured to go to a bank rather than calling an ambulance.
Conte’s lawyer Maitre Ammoura said: “He made the biggest mistake of his life, and it has cost him his career.
“He was in the France Under-21 side but became persona non grata. He ought to have gone on to play for the France senior side.”
Conte’s legal team plan to appeal against the verdict.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
