Jury hears rugby player’s ‘shock’ at sex abuse claims

The former Leeds, Halifax and Huddersfield player said he even thought it might have been “a wind up” because he had absolutely no idea about the claims which were being made against him.

The 38-year-old, who now lives in Manchester, told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that when he saw the police car pull up in January last year he initially thought it might have had something to do with his work as a mentor with young offenders.

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

Meanwhile a woman who claims she was raped as a child by Holroyd yesterday denied jumping on the “bandwagon” by making allegations against him.

Holroyd has denied charges of rape and indecent assault in relation to the female complainant and two charges of indecent assault in relation to the male.

All the offences are alleged to have been committed in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The trial continues.