Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was in court today for allegedly beating his girlfriend Nicole Holder and threatening to shoot her in May. Holder initially wasn't present, but arrived in time to give her testimony.
A few Panthers writers were there following along. Holder talked about Hardy's behavior and how she believed Hardy wasn't faithful to her:
Holder then talked about the incident itself, including the part where Hardy allegedly threw her onto a futon with guns on it. (Hardy legally owned all of his guns.):
(Sammy Curtis is Hardy's manager.)
Possibly hurting Holder's account is the fact that when she was cross-examined, she admitted to having cocaine in her system on the night of the incident. The judge didn't allow Hardy's lawyer to press further, however.
Christina Lawrence, who was a witness at the apartment, also gave her testimony. She said she didn't see the alleged fight, but did hear it.
Hardy pleaded not guilty to the charges of misdemeanor assault and communicating threats. Regardless of his innocence or guilt, his arrest might have been enough to make the Panthers rethink their future plans with him. Carolina applied the franchise tag on Hardy this year, but per Albert Breer, it's unlikely that the team will give the defensive end a long-term contract before today's deadline.
Photo: AP