Newcastle's Cheick Tiote in court over fraud and driving charges to add to club's woeful week

Midfielder appears on five different charges as controversial week for the Tyneside club continues

Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote (GETTY IMAGES)

A Premier League star has appeared in court charged with using a false Belgian driving licence and four other offences.

Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote, who is 27 today, is accused of using the allegedly false document as a form of ID "to establish personal information" about himself in December.

The Ivory Coast international is also charged with committing fraud by using the allegedly false document to get a UK licence, also in December.

In addition, he is accused of making a false statement to obtain insurance in September 2011 by allegedly claiming that he held a full driving licence without endorsements.

He is further charged with driving his Chevrolet, with the personalised plate T10 TEV, in Newcastle in February without a licence or insurance.

Accompanied in court by a French interpreter who translated the proceedings, the player answered the clerk's questions about his name, address and date of birth in English.

He wore a dark blue suit for the hearing, with bangles on his right arm.

No pleas were entered.

The case was sent to be heard at Newcastle Crown Court as the charge of possessing a false identity document could not be heard by magistrates. The other matters were linked to that charge, the court heard.

Tiote was granted unconditional bail and will appear at the Crown Court on July 5.

Born in the Ivory Coast, he moved to Belgian club Anderlecht in 2005.

He won his reputation as a tough-tackling midfielder with Dutch side FC Twente, before signing for Newcastle in 2010.

Tiote, who lives in the leafy Jesmond suburb, was driven to and from court in a taxi.

PA