Sentencing of Scots podcaster James English who attacked pregnant partner delayed

Scots podcaster James English, who was convicted of assaulting his former partner while pregnant, will have to wait to learn his fate.

The 43-year-old repeatedly attacked the 30-year-old woman at his flat in Glasgow’s Argyle Street and elsewhere between July 2022 and November 2023.

English grabbed his victim by the neck and pinned her against a door while she was pregnant.

He later pressed his thumbs into her eyebrows while she was pregnant, which caused redness.

In an earlier incident, English kicked the woman off a bed after she refused to give him a cuddle.

Other violent incidents included pulling the woman by the hair, which caused her to lose her balance, and, on another occasion, slapping her on the face, causing redness.

English, now of Larkhall, shot to fame after he starred in reality TV show Glow.

He is also the host of the Anything Goes podcast, which has more than 800,000 subscribers on YouTube.

English has interviewed stars such as ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne, boxer Tony Bellew and snooker legend Jimmy White.

He was found guilty last month a 12-day trial of engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive to a partner or ex-partner.

The single charge included a total of 19 allegations, and Sheriff Hall considered six of them to be proven. One allegation had been withdrawn mid-trial by the Crown.

English was back in the dock to be sentenced.

His lawyer, Calum Weir, told the sheriff: “A further meeting with social work is required. I will seek to amend the bail address.”

The sheriff replied: “I will defer sentence for reports previously called for and continue consideration of the non-harassment orders and continue bail.”

The case will recall in November.

The court previously heard that the pair got together, having initially chatted on the social media app Instagram in July 2022 and met in person the following month.

Evidence was heard by the woman remotely.

She told the court that English was “nice at first” and that the relationship moved “fast.”

The first act of violence came when they were lying together in bed in the early hours of the morning.

She stated: “He said that he wanted a cuddle…I just said that I was feeling sick, just give me a minute.”

Prosecutor Danielle Docherty asked if English was happy, and she replied: “No.”

The woman said: “He kicked me off the bed to the side of my hip on the right side of my body as I was on the left side of the bed.”

When asked how forceful the kick was, the woman replied: “Yes, it was quite forceful because I hit the wardrobe when I came off the bed.”

The woman stated that she felt “shocked” and wanted to leave.

She claimed English joined her five minutes later in the living room.

She said: “He came over to the sofa where I was sitting and he grabbed me by the shoulders for me to stand and pushed me against the wall.”

When asked what level of force was used, the woman replied: “Enough for me to be lifted from my feet.”

She stated that the incident lasted “not a long time” and stopped when he let her go.

The woman recalled being “frightened” at the time.

Ms Docherty asked how English seemed when he was doing it, and she replied: “Angry.”

The relationship continued, and the woman discovered that she was pregnant.

She stated that in a later incident, they were in the property together when English “took a firm hold” of her.

Ms Docherty told the court in her closing submissions: “He seized her by the neck, compressed it and pinned her against a door.

“This first episode lasted ten seconds.

“The woman told the court that she was petrified, just panicking, and he was aggressive.”

The woman further stated that during a “second episode” which lasted three to five seconds, English “grabbed her by the throat.”

Ms Docherty said: “He held her with a tight grip and she confirmed that she remained conscious throughout.”

In another incident, English pressed his thumbs into the woman’s eyebrows while she was pregnant.

The woman told the court that she experienced “redness” as a result.

English, on a later occasion, pulled the woman by the hair, which caused her to lose her balance.

Ms Docherty stated: “She said that her hair was long at the time and pulled it downwards.”

English’s final act of violence was “striking the woman’s face with an open hand.”

The woman reported having redness to her face and later informed her brother about it.

The trial was also told that English sent threatening and abusive messages to her.

An example read out in court included: “You absolute waste. Get a job and support your family.”

The woman said English verbally called her a “slag”, “fat slag” as well as “little b****.”

Another message told to the court said: “You are lucky I never f***ing battered you.”

In cross-examination, Mr Weir said: “It’s fair to say what’s been presented has been a very, very limited picture?”

The woman said: “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

Mr Weir asked: “You told the court about being assaulted?”

The woman replied: “Yes”

Mr Weir said: “Yet you have produced no photographic evidence to back that up?”

The woman replied: “The last thing I would think would be to take a photo or document that moment. I didn’t have significant cuts. I didn’t take photos.”

It was revealed that English has previous convictions for mainly road traffic matters.