Former Scotland rugby captain Stuart Hogg admits domestic abuse

Former Scotland rugby captain Stuart Hogg has admitted abusing his estranged wife over the course of five years.

Hogg, 32, had been due to stand trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court in southeastern Scotland on Monday but pleaded guilty to a single charge when he appeared at the court.

The father of four, who won 100 Scotland caps, arrived accompanied by his parents and admitted a single charge of domestic abuse against Gillian Hogg, between 2019 and 2024.

The full-back, who plays for French club Montpellier, is in the process of divorce proceedings, the court heard.

Hogg, who stood in the dock wearing a bandage on his hand, admitted being abusive towards Gillian Hogg and shouting and swearing in an aggressive manner.

He also admitted tracking her movements and sending her messages that were "alarming and distressing in nature".

The court heard Hogg berated his wife for "not being fun" after going on drinking binges with his colleagues, and sent "in excess of 200 text messages in a few hours despite having been asked to leave her alone", and that Gillian Hogg had a panic attack due to the messages.

Prosecutor Drew Long said the player and his wife were in the process of divorcing.

He said Gillian Hogg was "scared" of her husband when he became angry and would "wish it was morning so he would sober up".

Defending Hogg, lawyer Angela Gray said: "It is accepted by Mr Hogg that his conduct, looked at within that framework (of Domestic Abuse Act 2018), was criminal in nature."

She said that the "deteriorating" relationship had been subject to additional "scrutiny placed on it", and that Hogg's position was that his behaviour was "never intended to be abusive", the court heard.

The former Glasgow Warriors and Exeter player, one of Scotland's all-time leading try scorers, won his final cap in March 2023. He also represented the British and Irish Lions.

Sentencing was deferred until December 5.

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