The 32-year-old was found not guilty on one charge of sexually touching the woman without consent over an incident in March 2022. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed the rugby league player touched her buttocks and made suggestive comments about her “juicy arse”.
The former England international admitted to going to the home of the woman, whom he had known for over ten years, after agreeing to provide a signed jersey for a charity event.
The first part of the hearing took place in October 2023 with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, telling police: “I opened the cupboard and he’s turned around (and) grabbed me on the bottom.
“I froze on the inside and was just looking at the tea. He put a hand either side of my body and pressed right up against me. … I told him, ‘This is not going to happen’.”
She told police he “leaned back … put his hand down his pants” before telling her he loved her “juicy a**e”.
“I said, ‘Nothing is going to happen’. He said, ‘Stay and be naughty with me’. He tried to kiss me again … I said, ‘I’m a good girl and this isn’t happening’. He had a chuckle,” the woman continued.
The court was told the woman had messaged George Burgess and his brothers about the charity event, with the former responding on Snapchat though those messages automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Burgess, in the messages, apologised for the alleged incident and according to police told the woman he was “truly sorry for hurting her feelings”.
Later, the former England international said he never touched the woman’s backside, but that he did place his hand on her lower back while she made tea in the kitchen.
After the decision was announced, a woman in the courtroom allegedly burst into tears after saying to the magistrate: “What have you done to women?”
