Rugby star Ian Gough cleared of assaulting ex-girlfriend

Former Wales international rugby star Ian Gough has won an appeal against a conviction for assaulting his glamour model ex-girlfriend Sophia Cahill.

Mr Gough showed no emotion as Mr Recorder Jonathan Davies announced he would allow the appeal.

Last year Mr Gough was ordered to pay £2,130 in fines and costs after being convicted of grabbing and pushing Miss Cahill on January 5, 2014.

Mr Recorder Davies allowed the appeal at Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old always denied lashing out at the beauty queen.

During the two-day appeal Miss Cahill was accused of being a "manipulative liar" who repeatedly changed her story over the incident.

After hearing evidence from Miss Cahill, Mr Gough's barrister John Rees applied for the case to be dismissed due to a lack of evidence which would see the Newport Gwent Dragons forward convicted.

Following a short adjournment, Mr Recorder Davies and the magistrate sitting with him, returned and announced he was allowing the appeal.

He said: "In these circumstances we have both decided that there is no reasonable prospect of our convicting him of this.

"I don't think that the evidence in this case is enough to convict the appellant.

"In these circumstances I allow the appeal."

He said there would be no point hearing evidence from Mr Gough, a Newport Gwent Dragons player, when there was no prospect of conviction on a charge of assault.

He added: "This decision contains no implication or judgement of personality or character on the people involved."

Mr Gough, from Penllergaer, near Swansea, hugged his current partner and shook hands with his legal team after the case finished.

Miss Cahill was not in court at the time of the verdict.