Ex-Scotland rugby captain Stuart Hogg could be stripped of his MBE after narrowly avoiding jail for domestic abuse. The 32-year-old was given an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to rugby. But a shocking campaign of abuse targeted at his wife Gillian has seen his status called into serious doubt. Hogg pleaded guilty to a single charge of domestic abuse against his estranged wife, between 2019 and 2024, at locations including Hawick, the Scottish Borders, and Bearsden, near Glasgow. And as a result, he was sentenced to a community payback order, with one year of supervision, and a five-year non-harassment order at Selkirk Sheriff Court, while also being ordered to pay a £600 fine.
And Hogg's punishment could soon be set to get worse, with the Honours Secretariat now deciding whether his MBE will be rescinded. The SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: "It was important that this issue was raised at the highest level possible, and I'm glad that the Honours Secretariat is firmly on the case and I look forward to a timely decision being taken. "I've raised this matter in the Commons and directly with the honours authorities and, whilst I appreciate they have processes to undertake, it's clear to everyone that the forfeiture committee must live up to their name and remove Stuart Hogg's honour.
"There are simply no circumstances in which we should celebrate an individual found guilty of domestic abuse and I hope a decision is reached imminently.". First Minister John Swinney added last month: “That’s a reasonable and understandable call Stephen Flynn made.”. Hogg admitted to sending his former partner 200 text messages over the course of a few hours after the breakdown of their marriage. He would also track her.
The court had heard that Hogg would return home from heavy drinking sessions and would behave abusively towards Gillian, which included shouting and swearing, while she remained upstairs with their children. He apparently told his partner that she was "not being fun" during those times, leaving Gillian "wishing for it to be morning as soon as possible". Hogg eventually admitted to the messages being alarming and distressing in nature.
