Nairobi:
Kenya's Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru has been charged with threatening to kill his wife and his housemaid, and violently assaulting his guard.
The athlete denied all three acts, which were said to have taken place on Wednesday in his home in the northwestern town of Nyahururu. He was released on bail Thursday.
According to local reports, prosecutor John Ruto said Wanjiru threatened to kill his wife, Teresiah Njeri, following a confrontation. He also threatened to kill his housemaid, Nancy Njoki, and wounded his security guard, William Masinde, with an AK-47 assault rifle.
The 23-year-old Wanjiru is the youngest runner to win four major marathons, with a first-place finish in London in 2009 and the 2008 Olympics to go with his two wins in Chicago.
The case will come to court again on February 9.