Anna Bond

Gareth Hock, a former England rugby league player (pictured left outside court and right playing in 2014), appeared in court yesterday on allegations of rape, assault, and coerce control. Two counts of rape and five counts of assault causing real bodily harm have been charged to the former Wigan Warriors forward. Hock has since been charged with one count of assault by beating, one of control and coercion, as well as one of perverting the path of justice. The 39-year-old forward, who had denied all ten charges at a previous hearing, appeared before Judge Elliot Knopf in Bolton Crown Court on Monday for a case management hearing. Hock, dressed in a grey tracksuit top and black tracksuit bottoms, appeared in the dock but only spoke to announce his name at the short hearing.

A controlling boyfriend who assaulted his 18-year-old wife and threatened her with an acid attack and petrol bombing in a campaign of abuse that left her afraid she was not out was 'in a body bag.' Abu Munahim (left) and Mary McNairmott (right) were both planning to strip and murder Elouise McDermott (right) and dump her body on moorland for a year of control and abuse. Ms McDermott said she didn't like a prisoner, but on reflection, prisoners are treated better than what she went through. Munshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Munahim, was adamant because he confessed to coercion and assault occasioning real bodily harm. Munahim was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison and barred from contacting Ms McDermott and her mother indefinitely under the terms of a restraining order.