The verdict will be known on 4 December. In the meantime, the court in Auch on Thursday sought a two-year prison sentence, one year of it suspended with probation, against New Zealander George Tilsley (33). The player, currently in Pro D2 with Soyaux-Angoulême, is the subject of two complaints for domestic violence.

L’Equipe reports that a first complaint had been filed before his partner, also the mother of his child, decided to do the same. In the pages of La Dépêche, the latter describes an evening on which she “thought she was going to die”. Tilsley, a former Agen, Perpignan and Toulouse player, had also tried to hit her with his car.

Acquittal requested

In all, the second woman describes around thirty instances of physical violence. Of note, the back had already been given a six-month suspended prison sentence for violence against his partner in August 2023.

For his part, George Tilsley – accompanied by an interpreter – denies the allegations against him and his lawyer, Me Casellas, has asked for an “acquittal”. He points in particular to the lack of evidence, namely a medical certificate or photographs attesting to the violence.

Sacked twice

The decision will therefore be handed down on 4 December. George Tilsley arrived at Agen in 2015. Versatile, the former sevens international then moved around, taking in UBB (2018-2019) and Perpignan (2019-2023).

In between, he had been chosen to join the ranks of Stade Toulousain as a medical joker in 2023 but, following his conviction for domestic violence, the Red and Blacks’ directors decided to part ways with him.

A year later, the SAXV player made his return to Agen but was sacked there too for “gross misconduct”, after a heated altercation while under the influence of alcohol with SUA’s general manager. Indeed, at the hearing held on Thursday, it was noted that the New Zealander was “a bad drunk” and could be violent.