Former Scotland rugby captain Stuart Hogg has pleaded guilty to one charge of domestic abuse over a five-year period against his former partner.

Selkirk Sheriff Court heard Hogg’s behaviour left the mother of his children scared and wishing “for it to be morning as soon as possible”.

Hogg admitted sending 200 text messages in a few hours following the breakup of his marriage to Gillian Hogg, and using phone apps to track his former partner’s location.

The court heard Hogg, 32, would regularly go out drinking with colleagues and come home and behave abusively, shouting and swearing at his ex-wife and accusing her of “not being fun” for choosing to stay upstairs with their children.

The single charge relates to a five-year period between 2019 and 2024.

Hogg made his Scotland debut in 2012 and went on to make 100 appearances for his country, securing 171 points.

He also made two appearances for the British and Irish Lions during his career.

But in July last year, he unexpectedly announced his immediate retirement from international rugby, having previously said he would quit after the World Cup.

In a statement at the time, he said he wanted to take up a new career after retirement.

Read more from Sky News:
Body found on tracks in search for missing artist
Motorist with 176 penalty points still driving on UK’s roads
‘Extreme danger’ rain warning for Barcelona

Hogg, who plays for French club Montpellier, will be sentenced on 5 December at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

The family of a 10-year-old girl killed by their pet dog say they are “utterly shocked and devastated” by her death.

North Yorkshire Police have named Savannah Bentham, from the Malton area, as the child killed in the dog attack on Friday.

Police say initial enquiries suggest the attack was out of character, with Savannah having had “a close, loving relationship” with the canine.

In a statement, Savannah’s family said they “can’t believe we have lost our wonderful girl who we love so much”.

“We thank everyone for their support and kindness as we struggle to come to terms with our loss,” they added.

The family have asked for their privacy to be respected as they grieve for Savannah.

Officers were called to the area by ambulance crews at 4.15pm on Friday.

Savannah had suffered what police say were serious injuries, having been bitten by the dog.

Officers say Savannah died at the scene, despite the best efforts of medical professionals.

A member of the public had also come to the family’s aid, the force said in a statement.

Read more from Sky News:
Dawson’s Creek star reveals cancer diagnosis
Stuart Hogg pleads guilty to domestic abuse

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Police are continuing to investigate the attack, including finding an explanation, as far as possible, as to why the dog attacked Savannah.

Police have also confirmed the dog will be destroyed due to the nature of the attack.

Officers are continuing to support Savannah’s family and they have asked the public not to speculate.

An increase in university tuition fees in England is expected to be announced for the first time in more than seven years, Sky News understands.

Fees have been frozen at an annual level of £9,250 since the 2017/18 academic year, but the government is expected to lift the cap so they can rise in line with inflation.

That will increase the cost of tuition to £9,500 in October 2025 and £10,500 by 2029.

Politics latest: Badenoch announcing shadow cabinet

It’s expected that Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will confirm the move in a House of Commons statement later today.

Any such announcement is likely to provoke a strong backlash, given Sir Keir Starmer had pledged to abolish tuition fees when he stood to be Labour leader in 2020.

The prime minister rowed back on that promise early last year, saying it was no longer affordable because of the “different financial situation” the country was in, and he was choosing to prioritise the NHS.

However at the time he said Labour would set out a “fairer solution” for students if it won the election.

The change comes as universities have been dealing with a funding crisis, largely driven by a huge drop in overseas students.

Rules brought in by Rishi Sunak’s government made it harder for international students, who pay higher fees than British ones, to bring their families with them to the UK.

Universities have been pleading for more investment, but Ms Phillipson said recently that institutes should seek to manage their own budgets before hoping for a bailout from the taxpayer.

When she was in opposition, she also touted the idea of reducing the monthly repayments “for every single graduate” by changing how the loan is paid back.

Writing in The Times in June 2023 she had said: “Reworking the present system gives scope for a month-on-month tax cut for graduates, putting money back in people’s pockets when they most need it.”

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

However the idea didn’t make it into Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which only says that “the current higher education funding settlement does not work for the taxpayer, universities, staff, or students”.

It adds: “Labour will act to create a secure future for higher education and the opportunities it creates across the UK.”

Independent MP Zara Sultana, who lost the Labour whip after rebelling over the two-child benefit cap, called the latest development “wrong”.

“It’s time to abolish tuition fees and cancel student debt because education is a public good, not a commodity,” she posted on X.

‘Maintenance loans bigger issue’

However, money saving expert Martin Lewis said higher fees won’t necessarily lead to students facing higher yearly repayments, as that “solely depends on what you earn not on what you borrow”.

In a thread on X he said a more damaging policy was the Tories’ decision last year to drop the salary threshold at which repayments must be made – from £27,000 to £25,000 – and increase the time to clear the loan before it is written off, from 30 to 40 years.

He said: “Increasing tuition fees will only see those who clear the loan in full over the 40yrs pay more. That is generally mid-high to higher earning university leavers only, so the cost of increasing them will generally be born by the more affluent.”

He added that a bigger problem for students is the fact maintenance loans “aren’t big enough” and “have not kept pace with inflation”.

University fees of £1,000 per year were first introduced by the Labour government in 1998, going up to £3,000 in 2006.

The Coalition government then tripled the amount to £9,000 in 2012, sparking a huge backlash, particularly against the Lib Dems who had vowed to scrap fees in the 2010 general election campaign.

Since then there have been further changes to student finance such as the abolition of maintenance grants and NHS bursaries, moving student support increasingly away from non-repayable grants and towards loans.