Former Wigan rugby star accused of rape and assault granted bail after long trial delay

The 40-year-old had been due to appear before a Bolton Crown Court jury this week to face 12 charges in total, including two rapes, five counts of causing actual bodily harm, assault by beating, coercive and controlling behaviour January 1 2009 and November 11 2022 and perverting the course of justice.

He had denied these allegations at a previous hearing and has also entered not guilty pleas to leaving the scene of a road traffic collision and failing to report such an incident.

Ten days had been set aside this month by Judge Martin Walsh during which the ex-Super League forward was to have been questioned by prosecutors and presented his defence against the allegations.

But that time has now been vacated and the trial rescheduled for July 14 2025. The case will, however, be revisited at a mention hearing on June 13 this year.

Hock remains bailed under specific conditions that include surrendering his passport, wearing a GPS tracking tag and sleeping every night at his home address in Orrell.

As far as the motoring offence charges are concerned, it is alleged that Hock was at the wheel of an Audi A6 which crashed on Gathurst Road in Orrell, on November 11 2022 and then drove off without stopping.

He was arrested by police in February last year.

Hock began his career with his hometown club Wigan Warriors in 2003 and made almost 200 appearances for the Cherry and Whites.

He earned four caps for Great Britain and five for England, for whom he played in the 2008 World Cup in Australia.

He later went on to play for Widnes, Salford, Featherstone, Barrow and Leigh.

He retired as a player in 2019 after he had made a total of 313 career appearances, scoring 81 tries.

Since quitting the sport Hock had had been involved in several business ventures, the most recent being in 2022 when he established a skip hire firm.