Stan Collymore has retired from professional football

Collymore, from Cannock, Staffs, faced four charges, including making a threat to kill his wife Estelle.

But the 33-year-old walked free from court on Monday after the charges were withdrawn on condition he accepted a bind-over sum of �500.

The charges related to a dispute outside his wife's parents' house.

I felt it should not have come here, but now I feel that common sense has prevailed Stan Collymore

As well as the threats to kill, the ex-Aston Villa and England star, who lives in the Shoal Hill area of Cannock, had been charged with causing criminal damage, a public order offence and issuing a threat to destroy property by fire.

Outside court, Collymore said the dispute with his wife, in which he smashed a window of a car they jointly owned, had started over a discussion about their daughter.

He added: "I felt it should not have come here (the court) but now I feel that common sense has prevailed."

Magistrates had been told Collymore and his wife, who have been separated for two months, became involved in a heated argument outside her parents' home, ending with him kicking a window of a Mini Cooper which his wife used.

Prosecutor Richard Johnson said the following day, Collymore had another discussion with his wife by telephone.

"She found it most upsetting and she was most distressed by what had been said to her," he said.

'Tempers frayed'

But he added: "It is not alleged that Mr Collymore in any way put a hand on Mrs Collymore.

"It is not a matter of assault or anything like that."

Mark Haslam, defending, told the court that his client accepted he was responsible for the damage to the Mini on 9 May and for upsetting his wife a second time the following day.

He added Collymore had agreed to pay for the repairs to the vehicle.

The solicitor continued: "Tempers became frayed. It is a situation which he accepts should not have taken place - he apologises."

The solicitor told reporters afterward that Collymore wanted to put the incident behind him and resolve the situation with matrimonial lawyers.