2 days ago
Ex-footballer appears in court charged with assaulting Sugababes singer
A former professional footballer has appeared in court charged with assaulting Sugababes singer Keisha Buchanan, as well as controlling or coercive behaviour.
Taiwo Leo Atieno faces eight charges relating to his ex-girlfriend, Ms Buchanan, across an approximately 13-year period.
The 39-year-old, who played for Luton Town while they were in the Conference Premier league between 2010 and 2011, appeared via video link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs wearing a suit and tie.
Atieno was not asked to enter pleas and Judge Ian Bourne KC granted his release from prison on conditional bail during the Harrow Crown Court case sitting at Southwark on Thursday.
Atieno, who was born in Brixton in London but played for the Kenyan national team, is charged with assaulting the founding Sugababes singer between 1 January 2012 and 1 January 2015 - causing her actual bodily harm.
He is also charged with controlling or coercive behaviour against Ms Buchanan between 29 December 2015 and 1 May 2018.
The charge alleges he opened Ms Buchanan's correspondences, controlled her finances and when she could go to the gym and shower, and would not let her wear red lipstick.
The charge claims this caused Ms Buchanan "serious alarm or distress which had a substantial adverse effect" on her "usual day-to-day activities".
He is accused of doing this "at a time when he knew or ought to have known that the behaviour will have a serious effect" on her.
Atieno is also charged with six counts of breaching a non-molestation order, twice by allegedly posting information about Ms Buchanan to a third party online on 18 July and 20 July 2024.
He is further accused of breaching the order by emailing Ms Buchanan on 2 August, 19 November, 19 December and 23 December 2024.
His bail conditions stipulate that he must surrender his passport.
The judge said: "There must not be any contact either directly or indirectly with the complainant Keisha Buchanan.
"That means any form of contact, whether it be by email or other sort of social media messaging system - any contact at all".
Julian Malins KC, defending, said Atieno "fully understands it, and assures the court through us that he will abide by that".
Atieno was also told not to apply for international travel or to enter the London Borough of Barnet.
He is due to enter pleas on 22 August. His trial is set to begin on 13 April 2026.
Ms Buchanan became one of the original members of the Sugababes with Mutya Buena and Siobhan Donaghy as a teenager in 1998.
Donaghy left in 2001 and was replaced by Heidi Rang, while Buena was replaced by Amelle Berrabah in 2005.
Buchanan, the last remaining original member, was replaced by Jade Ewen in 2009.
The founding trio regained the right to use the Sugababes name in 2019. They reunited to perform at Glastonbury Festival in 2022.
