Saif Alrubie: Football agent told by judge to stop being confrontational

Saif Alrubie is charged with sending Marina Granovskaia an electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety

A football agent accused of sending a threatening email to a former Chelsea director has been warned to stop being "confrontational" in court.

Saif Alrubie, 45, considered he was owed a percentage of Kurt Zouma's £29m transfer fee to West Ham.

It is alleged he sent an email to Marina Granovskaia demanding payment and insinuated she might come to harm.

He denies a single charge of sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress.

Under cross-examination at Southwark Crown Court, Mr Alrubie was told that he was expected to answer, not ask, questions.

Marina Granovskaia was described as the "right-hand person" of Chelsea's former owner Roman Abramovich

Judge David Tomlinson said: "This confrontation has to stop. If I think you are being asked an unfair question, I will say so.

"If I don't intervene, then please just listen to the question and answer it to the best of your ability."

Mr Alrubie said: "I'm sorry, your honour."

The email in question suggested Ms Granovskaia, then a senior director at Chelsea, might "suffer the fate" of another agent, Kia Joorabchian, who was allegedly accosted and intimidated by men demanding payment, the jury has been told.

When the defendant was being asked about his reference to Mr Joorabchian in the email, the judge interrupted his answer and said: "Stop, stop, stop. Just focus please.

"They are sentences that no-one forced you to write, they are sentences you chose to write. It is legitimate to be asked questions about what was in your mind.

"Just listen to the question and answer it."

The judge reiterated the request later on and added: "It is so confrontational and unnecessary."

Mr Alrubie told jurors that Ms Granovskaia "clearly lied to hide the true facts and nature of the transfer fee".

He said there was nothing in his email that could amount to a threat: "No threat made, no threat perceived, apart from the potential consequences of legal action."

The trial continues.