WELSH Rugby star Ian Gough has been fined £1,050 and ordered to pay £200 compensation for assaulting his ex-partner Sophia Cahill at the South Croydon home of Dane Bowers.
The 37-year-old, capped 64 times by Wales, attacked his Miss Cahill – a former winner of Miss Wales now engaged to Mr Bowers – at the Another Level singer's home in Kingswood Way on January 5 this year.
He was found guilty of assault by beating at a Croydon Magistrates' Court trial on July 29, and was sentenced at the same court today (Thursday).
Prosecutor Christian Wheeliker told the court Gough was returning the couple's two-year-old son, of whom they share custody, from his home in Swansea, when he grabbed Miss Cahill by the shoulders and "flung" her into his van door as she went to pick the toddler from his car seat.
The court heard there had been a series of "acrimonious" communications between the couple before the incident because Gough was running late.
Neither Mr Bowers or Miss Cahill attended the sentencing but Mr Wheeliker read a statement on her behalf, in which she said she needs medication for anxiety and panic attacks she has suffered since the incident.
"This affects her work as a TV presenter and she is on a waiting list for a psychologist. The medication has also left her unable to drive," he said.
Mark Haslam, defending, told the court there was no medical evidence to back up claims made in Miss Cahill's statement and pointed out the attack had not caused her any physical injuries.
"In the first part of the statement she said she is unable to drive due to strong medication, the reality of the situation is that she's perfectly able to drive. Since the trial she has driven to handovers of Gabriel on numerous occasions," he said.
Mr Haslam also said the "humiliation" Gough had suffered from the court case had been a punishment itself.
Sentencing him, chairwoman of the bench Cheryl Southern-Petty said no statutory aggravating factor had been found and there was no evidence of premeditation.
"A child was present, which increases the seriousness but this was an isolated incident," she said.
She added that Gough was of "excellent character".
As well as the fine and compensation Gough was ordered to pay £775 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £200 - a total of £2,130.
After the proceedings, the Newport-Gwent Dragons player delivered a short statement outside court.
He said: "While I accept the court has to follow its procedures, I do not accept the guilty conviction against me. I am currently appealing the conviction."
When asked how the case had affected him he added: "I don't really want to get into it, but you've just got to push on."
During the trial Miss Cahill described how the assault had left he "shocked and upset" while Mr Bowers, who witnessed the assault from the living room of his home, sent Gough an angry text which read: "Did you just lay your f****** hands on Sophia?"
Gough and Miss Cahill split up in 2011, while she was pregnant with their son.
