Lions winger faces trial on sexual assault charge

Lions winger Gareth Thomas and three former club-mates are to stand trial accused of assault and sexual assault.

Thomas and former team mates Phil Booth and Andy Moore along with team coach Richard Webster were allegedly involved in an incident in a nightclub in Pau, south-west France in 2003.

Booth allegedly made a sexual gesture to a 22-year-old woman. When the woman's fiance intervened, a brawl began, with Moore and Thomas allegedly becoming involved.

The four men deny all the charges. They have been committed to stand trial in Pau on October 13.

Thomas is the captain of the Welsh rugby team and was in the starting lineup last night for the Lions against the All Blacks.

Thomas, Booth and Moore were players with the now defunct Bridgend RFC at the time of the alleged incident in October 2003, while Webster was a coach.

All three players and Webster last appeared before a French court to deny all charges in November 2003. A short hearing at the Palais de Justice in Pau on Thursday set October 13 as the date for the trial of all four men.

A spokeswoman said the prosecution case was expected to last no more than two hours.

Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward said this week Thomas's case was something "we have known about for some time".

"It had no relevance to his selection for the Test match." 


- HERALD ON SUNDAY