Boxing champ’s trial for alleged rape ready to go ahead after latest court appearance in Preston

The 31-year-old fighter was brought before a judge at Preston Crown Court today to be told the case is "trial ready" after two previous postponements.

Fitzgerald, from Ashton, Preston, sat in the dock, with his family in the public gallery, while lawyers for both the prosecution and defence told Judge Guy Mathieson at a pre-trial review that they were now ready to proceed.

Judge Mathieson told him: "There have been various hearings over the last year as this case rumbles along."

He said the pre-trial review was to make sure that any issues or problems could be dealt with in advance of the trial and not a couple of days into it, causing further delays.

"As much as anyone can say this is trial ready. There are a couple of bits of tidying up to be done, but it is trial ready," he added.

And he reminded Fitzgerald that if he failed to turn up for his trial on August 14 - he has attended every hearing so far - the case would go on in his absence.

The judge extended Fitzgerald's bail until the trial and said: "We will see you on August 14, all being well."

Fitzgerald first appeared in court in Preston in May 2022 accused of raping a woman. He pleaded not guilty. The trial was due to be heard by a jury on March 20 this year, but it was postponed. A new date a week later was also called off.

The boxer hit the sporting headlines in 2014 when as an amateur he won the welterweight gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. He turned professional in 2016 and has since won all 15 of his fights, 10 of them by stopping his opponents.

In 2019 Fitzgerald beat Ted Cheeseman to claim the Lonsdale belt and become British Super Welterweight Champion. He has only had one more fight since that night, due in part to the Covid pandemic, knocking out Frenchman Gregory Trenel at Manchester Arena in May 2021.