Andrew Tate's civil rape trial will be heard 'as soon as possible', judge says

Andrew Tate's civil rape trial will be heard 'as soon as possible', judge says17 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleEwan SomervilleGetty ImagesAndrew Tate's civil trial for allegations of rape and sexual assault "will be heard" as soon as possible despite further delays, a High Court judge has said.Four women's claims of sexual violence against Tate were due to go to trial in the court on 22 June.But the case was adjourned on Wednesday after police reopened a criminal investigation, prompting Mrs Justice Lambert to say: "As soon as this case is ready it will be heard."Tate, an influencer and self-proclaimed misogynist, has previously denied the allegations in a written defence submitted to the High Court, calling them a "pack of lies" and "gross fabrications".Among the civil claims Tate faces is that he grabbed one of the women by the throat on several occasions in 2015, pointed a gun in her face and assaulted her with a belt.The civil case concerns incidents the four women allege took place in Luton and Hitchin between 2013 and 2015.Hertfordshire Constabulary said in March it would reinvestigate alleged rape and sexual assault offences which were reported between 2014 and 2015. This will primarily focus on 10 devices, involving more than a million messages, videos and photos.The force is being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over how it handled its previous investigation into the claims.On Tuesday, Tate's lawyers applied for a stay of 12 months on the civil case, arguing they were awaiting materials from the police and that any potential future criminal proceedings could be prejudiced.Mrs Justice Lambert rejected this on Wednesday - instead opting to adjourn to await further details on the police investigation, but urging the police to "work with a degree of urgency".The judge said Tate's lawyers had "not persuaded me that there is a...