Athlete hate mail charge

Ashia Hansen is one of Britain's brightest Olympic prospects

The white former boyfriend of black British international triple jumper Ashia Hansen has been remanded in custody after appearing in court accused of sending her racist hate mail.

Chris Cotter, 28, a financial adviser, allegedly sent the letters in a bid to pervert the course of justice, after falsely claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack outside her house in Erdington, Birmingham.

Mr Cotter from Bromford, Birmingham, Surjit Singh Claire of Reedswood, Walsall, West Midlands, and Craig Wynn, of Kingstanding, Birmingham, are charged with perverting the course of justice.

They also face a charge of jointly sending racist material with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress and conspiracy to obtain financial gain by deception by selling stories to newspapers and others.

Chris Cotter was injured on the back and head

Mr Claire and Mr Wynn face separate charges of conspiracy to inflict grievous bodily harm on Mr Cotter between 18 March and 22 March.

All three have been remanded in custody to reappear on 31 May after their bail applications were refused by magistrates.

Mr Cotter was arrested on Friday by West Midlands Police officers investigating the incident which saw him stabbed three times in the back and slashed across the forehead.

Mr Cotter - a former long jumper - was attacked in March in what was thought to be a racially motivated assault as he parked his car near Olympic hopeful Ms Hansen's home in Erdington, Birmingham.

After the attack on Mr Cotter, 28-year-old Ms Hansen - one of Britain's brightest prospects for a medal at the Sydney Olympics - was sent racist hate mail and was forced into hiding.

Three other high-profile black male British athletes also received racist "poison pen" style letters the following week.