Jury clears ex-rugby star of abuse charges

The 38-year-old former Leeds, Halifax and Huddersfield player was found not guilty on five allegations of indecent assault and one of rape in less than an hour.

The jury of eight men and four women retired at around 11.10am yesterday, but they were back in court by midday to return their unanimous not guilty verdicts.

Earlier this week Mr Holroyd told the jury at Bradford Crown Court how he felt “total shock” when police officers arrived at his home to question him.

He said he thought it might have been “a wind up” because he had absolutely no idea about the claims being made against him.

During questioning by his barrister Simeon Evans, Mr Holroyd, who lives in Manchester, insisted that he had never sexually abused either of the complainants.

A woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had claimed that Mr Holroyd had raped her from the age of seven, but Mr Evans suggested she was jumping on the bandwagon of other allegations made by a male complainant.

Both complainants made their allegations to the police in January last year, but during questioning from Mr Evans the woman denied that the claims were motivated by hopes of receiving compensation.

All the offences were alleged to have been committed in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Holroyd himself was aged between 11 and 15.

Following the verdicts Judge Roger Thomas QC told Mr Holroyd he could leave the dock area. He will be given £200 to cover his travel expenses.