Stade Toulousain scrum-half Byron Kelleher has made a public apology for his drunken behaviour last week in the newspaper Dépêche du Midi, admitting that you had to have the courage to say sorry when you were in the wrong.

Kelleher said alcohol fuelled him to became "stupidly excited" after the initial car accident, adding "I let myself be carried away by false friends".

The ex-international went on to say he had "made a mistake" because he was "angry and stupid".

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His apology come at the end of a bad week for the former All Black, who is now facing two court dates and an injury-enforced spell on the sidelines.

Everything had seemed so rosy last Thursday when Stade coach Guy Noves told Kelleher he could have the weekend off after an energy-sapping start to the season, but things began to unwind later that same day – or earlier the next morning to be precise – when the former international was involved in a now well-publicised car crash and brawl.

Police charges have since been laid with Kelleher being accused of ‘driving while intoxicated’ and also of ‘violent conduct’, with Toulouse deputy prosecutor Richard Bometon confirming on Tuesday that the player would plead guilty to both.

“He will plead guilty. The maximum penalty is a suspended jail sentence, but this case is not a very serious one,” he told AFP.

Kelleher’s court date has been set for October 28, and his case appears to have been assisted by his alleged victim withdrawing his statement of complaint.

“I am certain that Byron Kelleher is a good person who made an error as any one of us can make at some time,” he told sport24.com. “This incident was a brawl that saw Byron sustain injuries to the face and the shoulder. He will not be able to play rugby during the next few weeks, which I constitute as sufficient punishment not to add an additional sanction.”

That development will obviously be welcomed by Kelleher, 32, as it is bound to weigh in his favour when the case comes to court next month. Also, the injuries he sustained in the fight appear not to be as serious as first reported, with Kelleher now expected back in training next week, and in contention to play against Stade Francais on September 26.

But Kelleher’s brush with the courts doesn’t stop there, for he is also being sued – along with his clothing brand BK9 - by photo agency Cleva Media for alleged non-payment of more than €35,000 in fees, plus “damages and other compensation”.

Cleva Media says it has been forced to turn to the courts after more than 100 of its pictures were used on the BK9 website and for marketing material. It claims BK9 has failed to honour a contract whereby Cleva Media was brought on board to be the player’s official photographer for a book on Kelleher’s life in Toulouse, and also for promotional work for the clothing brand.

In response, Kelleher’s lawyers are expected to argue that the player had no knowledge of such a deal and that it was instigated by Joe Hutley, his then business manager. A letter from his lawyers further said he usually charged for the right to use his image and would never consider paying €8,750 per month to have his photo taken.

A preliminary hearing took place at the Tribunal De Grande Instance de Toulouse in July and final pleadings are due to be heard later today (Thursday), with a judgement expected some time in October.

Whatever the outcome of both court cases it has been an extraordinary week for Kelleher, Top 14’s Player of the Year in 2007/8.