Ex-England rugby league star Gareth Hock, 39, is charged with rape, assault and coercive control
- Gareth Hock has been charged with multiple offences including rape and assault
- The former rugby league player represented Great Britain and England, 2006-12
Former Great Britain and England rugby player Gareth Hock has been charged with rape.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed Hock, 39, had been remanded in custody and will appear in court at a later date.
A police statement read: ‘Gareth Hock from Wigan has been charged with multiple offences including rape, assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.
‘He has been remanded in custody and will appear at court at a later date.’
Gareth Hock has been charged with rape, assault and coercive or controlling behaviour
The assault and controlling and coercive behaviour charges were brought against the former international earlier this month.
The other charges were based on events that took place between 1 January 2009 and 11 November 2022.
Hock was arrested on 14 February and appeared at a hearing at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court.
He is due to appear at Manchester Crown Court at an unspecified date for a pre-trial hearing.
GMP Wigan West posted yesterday on Facebook: ‘A Wigan man has been charged with multiple offences and remanded in custody.’
They listed two counts of rape, five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, controlling or coercive behaviour, assault by beating, doing and act tending and intended to pervert the course of justice, fail to stop, fail to report an accident.
It is alleged that Hock, born Gareth Charnock, crashed an Audi A6 in Orrell in November 2022 and drove off without stopping.
Gareth Hock of Wigan Warriors is tackled during the Powergen Challenge Cup match between Wigan Warriors and Widnes Vikings at The JJB Stadium on February 29, 2004 in Wigan
Hock formerly represented Great Britain (2006) and England (2008-12) in international rugby, appearing in the 2008 World Cup squad.
He played 191 games from Wigan Warriors between 2003 and 2013, scoring 48 tries.
Throughout his career, Hock played second-row, prop and loose forward.
He retired in 2019 after 16 years of professional rugby.
