Gareth Hock remanded in custody after rape charge, Police confirm
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Former Great Britain and Wigan forward Gareth Hock has been charged with rape and assault, Greater Manchester Police have confirmed.
Hock, 39, had been charged earlier this month with controlling and coercive behaviour, as well as with two driving offences.
A GMP spokesperson said: “Gareth Hock (05/09/1983), from Wigan, has been charged with multiple offences, including rape, assault and controlling or coercive behaviour, among others.
“He has been remanded in custody and will appear at court at a later date.”
The driving offences allege that he was the driver of a vehicle involved in a road accident, which he failed to report, and that as a driver, he failed to stop following the accident.
They relate to an incident involving an Audi A6 in Orrell in November.
Hock appeared in Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court last month, where he pleaded not guilty to the two driving charges.
He is due to appear in Manchester Crown Court later this month for the controlling and coercive behaviour charge, for which he did not enter a plea.
The controlling and coercive behaviour was reported to have been in an intimate and/or family relationship between January 1 2009 and November 11 2022. After being arrested last month, he was initially bailed until these recent developments.
Playing days
Hock made 191 appearances for his hometown club Wigan, before a planned move to the NRL fell through.
The back-rower went on to play for Salford, Leigh, Featherstone and Leigh until his retirement in 2019.
Hock was no stranger to controversy during his playing days, and from August 2009 served a two-year drugs ban.
Ahead of the 2013 World Cup, he was removed from the England squad for a “serious breach of team discipline.”
He was replaced by Brett Ferres in Steve McNamara’s squad, after Hock had apparently missed a recovery session following a night out after England’s surprise warm-up game defeat to Italy.
In 2008, he was banned for five matches for grabbing a referee in a loss to Huddersfield, while during a loan spell at Widnes in 2013 he was also suspended for making contact with a match official.