FORMER Scottish international footballer Ray Stewart assaulted a nightclub disc jockey after he found him in bed with his wife.

Stewart, 36, yesterday admitted assaulting the man and breaking his jaw and nose as he lay asleep in his bed.

He also admitted entering the man's home without permission, where he found his wife naked in bed beside the DJ. Both men had played football for St Johnstone.

Disc jockey Patrick Ward had his jaws wired up and metal plates put in his face after Stewart left him with a broken jaw and fractures to his nose.

Former Dundee United and West Ham United star Stewart sat impassively in the dock yesterday as a court heard how he had suspected his wife of having an affair for several weeks.

Depute fiscal Steven Kirk told Perth Sheriff Court that Stewart had followed his wife on nights out while their relationship was going through a ``rocky patch''.

He said that, on May 27 last year, Stewart had followed his wife to the Jazz Bank nightclub in Perth, where he found her drinking with Mr Ward.

Stewart attempted to get his wife to leave the club, but she had refused and asked for other people in the club to help her.

Later that night, Stewart entered Mr Ward's home in Oakbank Road, Perth, after he arrived at the house and found the doors unlocked.

He opened the door to the bedroom and found his wife and Mr Ward in bed together. He pulled off the covers while the couple were asleep and found them both naked.

Stewart then assaulted the man, striking him several times on the face.

Mr Kirk said that Mr Ward had woken up because of a numbing sensation to his face and found Stewart standing at the bottom of his bed with his wife's handbag.

Surgeons operated for three hours on Mr Ward's face after the assault, and one doctor described the injuries as being ``similar to those found after a road traffic accident''.

Yesterday, Mr McRae, acting for Stewart, told the court that Stewart had been under a lot of pressure as his marriage was failing and his wife had moved out with his eight-year-old son and four-year-old daughter.

He added that Stewart had felt that he was a failure after his club, Stirling Albion, had failed to win promotion from the Scottish second division.

He told the court that Stewart could not remember how many times he had struck Mr Ward, but that he realised the enormity of what he had done and did not want to shirk the consequences.

Mr McRae added that Stewart and his wife were now back together and were attempting to make a fresh start at the family home in Georgina Place, Scone, near Perth.

Character references from former West Ham team-mate Trevor Brooking, Dundee United manager Billy Kirkwood and Kilmarnock manager Alex Totten were given to Sheriff John McInnes.

Sherrif McInnes defered sentence until May 7 for further background reports.

Stewart is assistant manager and head coach of Stirling Albion.