Former league star pleads guilty to assaulting model mistress

Former Kiwis star Sam Stewart. Photo / Photosport.

A former rugby league international has pleaded guilty to assaulting a model-turned-actress he was having an affair with.

Sam Stewart, 54, was handed a two-year good behaviour bond on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to the assault charge in the Southport Magistrates Court, Gold Coast.

The New Zealand-born star and his mistress Erin Connor, a model who was in several television shows and movies, agreed to end their relationship at a meeting in a 2016.

But after the meeting Ms Connor ran off with Stewart's phone and money resulting in the inaugural Newcastle Knights captain chasing her down and tackling her.

Ms Connor, who is best known for appearing on Neighbours and in a TV mini series about Schapelle Corby, suffered bruising in the incident.

Stewart, who played 18 times for the Kiwis in the 1980s, admitted the force he'd used to tackle Ms Connor was excessive.

Convictions weren't recorded, but the former NRL star will be required to pay up to $2000 if he breaches the bond.

There has been an ongoing feud between Ms Connor, Stewart and ex-wife Victoria.

Their clashes began in 2013 when Mrs Stewart faced court over allegedly assaulting Ms Connor, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

During that hearing the court was told that Mrs Stewart had scratched three words - 'sl**, wh**e and hooker' - into Ms Connor's car which was parked at a resort where she had been having an affair with the NRL star.

But Mrs Stewart was found not guilty over the incident, with the Magistrate ruling she had been provoked.

That incident was followed by Ms Connor being charged with stalking Mrs Stewart from December 1, 2013 to April 15, 2014. The charges were later dropped by police.