Ex-Scotland captain sentenced for bail breach

NEWS: Former Scotland rugby union captain Stuart Hogg has been sentenced to a five-year non-harassment order and fined after breaching bail.

Hogg had his sentence for abusing his estranged wife over the course of five years deferred until January 9.

He earlier admitted breaching bail conditions by repeatedly contacting his ex-partner, Gillian Hogg, in June.

Hogg previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of domestic abuse of Mrs. Hogg when he appeared at Selkirk Sheriff Court on November 4.

He admitted shouting and swearing, tracking her movements, and sending her messages which were alarming and distressing in nature.

The court previously heard he berated Mrs Hogg for “not being fun” after going on drinking binges with his colleagues, and once sent her more than 200 text messages in the space of a few hours.

For the bail breach, he was placed on a five-year non-harassment order and fined £600 (R13 784,80), with an additional £40 (918,99) victim surcharge, when he appeared at Jedburgh Sheriff Court for sentencing on Thursday.

The 32-year-old had been due to stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court on November 4, but pleaded guilty that day to a charge of domestic abuse, between 2019 and 2024 at locations including Hawick in the Scottish Borders.

Hogg now lives abroad and plays for French club Montpellier, and the court was told he is in the process of a divorce.

Prosecutor Drew Long told the court on November 4 that the couple moved to Exeter in 2019 with their three young children, all aged under three, but Hogg’s “behaviour deteriorated” as he went out partying.

Hogg would “shout and swear and accuse Mrs. Hogg of not being fun” for not joining in drinking, and her family, “noticed a change in her”, the court heard.

In 2022, Mrs. Hogg went on a night out and was bombarded with text messages from her husband which “caught the attention of the people she was with”, the prosecutor said.

The following year, the couple moved to Hawick but Hogg used an app to track his wife and “questioned her whereabouts” while she was dropping the children off, Mr Long told the court.

In 2023, Mrs Hogg decided to leave the rugby player and sought advice from a domestic abuse service.

In September of that year, the court heard last month, Hogg sent so many messages that it led Mrs Hogg to have a panic attack, and Hogg “sent in excess of 200 texts in a few hours despite being asked to leave her alone”.

On February 21 this year, police were called due to Hogg “shouting and swearing” and he was taken into custody and then placed on a bail order stipulating not to contact Mrs Hogg, or to enter the family home.

Hogg retired from professional rugby last year but in July this year, it was announced that he would be returning after signing for Montpellier on a two-year contract.

The former Glasgow Warriors and Exeter Chiefs player was made an MBE for services to the sport in this year’s New Year Honours list.