AN ENGLAND international karate champion from York has appeared in court charged with raping a 13-year-old girl.

Karate instructor Liam O’Grady, aged 29, of Larchfield, Osbaldwick, has appeared before York Magistrates Court charged with four counts of sexual assault against the child including rape and sexual grooming. Dressed in a dark blue T-shirt, O’Grady, who has been practising karate for more than 20 years, winning national and international medals, spoke only to confirm his personal details at the hearing yesterday.

Grady’s wife Lisa, with whom he has two children, and her mother were in court yesterday for the initial hearing into allegations that he abused the girl between October of last year and April this year. She cannot be named for legal reasons.

A decision on whether O’Grady will be granted bail is to be made by a crown court judge today.

He was remanded in custody yesterday.

A trial date into the allegations has been provisionally set for Monday at York Crown Court.

O’Grady realised a dream with the opening of his own martial arts centre last June.

He established Elite Fight And Fitness at Bentley Park, in Osbaldwick, with his wife, but has stepped down since the allegations were made against him.

A joint statement, issued to The Press, from local authorities including North Yorkshire Police said: “North Yorkshire Police have charged Liam Edward O’Grady with four sex offences against a child.

“North Yorkshire Police, the City of York Safeguarding Children Board and City of York Council’s Children’s Social Care Services have worked in partnership to ensure appropriate safeguarding measures were in place during the investigation and will continue to work together as the legal process continues.”

O’Grady, a former Hempland Primary School and Huntington School pupil and black-belt karate champion, helped England’s senior team to European gold in November 2008.

He is one of the few men to complete a European junior and senior championship double, having captained the under-21 team to victory in 2001.

He has represented England and Great Britain for many years and competed in Chicago, Portugal, Spain, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Switzerland.

In 2008 O’Grady outlined his plans to raise karate’s presence in local schools after winning The Press’ Community Pride Sporting Hero award in that year.

More than 100 children attend his one-hour karate sessions at after-school clubs in Elvington, Poppleton Ousebank, Copmanthorpe, Dringhouses, Canon Lee and Stockton-on-the-Forest.

He was awarded his fourth dan black belt last month.