The Albany Gazette - Ex-Scotland rugby captain Hogg spared jail after admitting he abused wife

Hogg, 32, pleaded guilty to a single charge of domestic abuse of his ex-partner, Gillian Hogg, when he appeared at Selkirk Sheriff Court in Scotland on November 4.

He admitted shouting and swearing, tracking Gillian Hogg's movements and sending her messages that were alarming and distressing in nature.

Sheriff Peter Paterson sentenced Hogg to a community payback order with one year of supervision when he appeared at the court for sentencing on Thursday.

He also imposed another non-harassment order barring Hogg, who now plays for French club Montpellier, from approaching or contacting Gillian Hogg for five years, mirroring one imposed last month.

Paterson told Hogg the sentence was an "alternative to custody".

Hogg, wearing a dark jacket and tie, made no comment as he left court accompanied by his parents.

The former Scotland skipper had already been banned from approaching or contacting Gillian Hogg for five years in December after he admitted breaching bail conditions by repeatedly contacting her in June, when one night she received 28 texts from him.

The court was previously told Hogg was in the process of a divorce.

It heard he had berated Gillian 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, which prompted a panic attack.

Former Glasgow and Exeter full-back Hogg, one of Scotland's all-time leading try scorers, won his final cap in March 2023.

He also represented the British and Irish Lions.

(D.Lewis--TAG)