Former Shrewsbury Town and Telford footballer James Hurst jailed for stalking his ex-partner

James Hurst, 32, defended himself at Birmingham Crown Court today (Wednesday) ahead of being sentenced for two years and slapped with a five year restraining order.

Despite the former West Bromwich Albion footballer giving the judge "18 reasons why I should not get a custodial sentence", including an offer of a new contract at a new unnamed club and obtaining positive character references from his ex-partners, Hurst failed to convince Judge Roderick Henderson he should be released from jail.

Judge Henderson said: "Though I accept in relation to previous relationships he has acted kindly and supportively after they had broken down. But the defendant showed obsessiveness in this situation.

"I have considered whether I could suspend this sentence, in which he articulately asked for in his submissions, but these offences do pass the custody threshold. The frequency and seriousness of this offending leads to a custodial sentence as court orders need to be followed and ex-partners and their family need to be protected. I see no other way to sending the message home to this defendant that his behaviour cannot mean the sentence be suspended."

Hurst, of Somerville Road, Sutton Coldfield, has been remanded in custody at HMP Birmingham since his arrest in June, pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates Court last week to stalking, two counts of harassment, two counts of sending false communications and one offence of breaching a non-molestation order.

Prosecutor Harminder Jagger described how Hurst had sent 500 unwanted phone calls, text messages and emails to his ex-partner, her mother and her brother-in-law since breaking up in November last year.

"On January 11, his ex-partner felt she had no option to go to Chesterfield Family Court and obtained a none-molestation order which was effective until January 2025. However, the defendant then began to send messages to his ex-partner's mother who had been acting as a go-between between the two.

"They were controlling in nature and even sent a card saying he "was watching her like a hawk" which led to her installing cameras outside her house."

She added: "He then sent messages and emails calling her stupid and 'she had the devil in the soul'. There were days where the complainant would receive upto 50 calls a day."

Demanding access to his child Hurst harassed his ex-partner and sent nasty messages to her family and wrote an abusive Tripadvisor review about their farm claiming a child had been attacked by an animal.

Hurst had been in the UAE and Bali, where he had been undoing mental health treatment for depression, for the first three months of the year and had sent the messages and card from abroad. He admitted he "had sent them under the influence of alcohol."

In a victim impact statement Hurst's ex-partner said: "I am scared after the comments from him. He said I live in a field with no-one around. He is unhinged. He does not listen about the law. I go to bed scared, I worry he will turn up and take our child. I know he has been abroad, he was in Bali, but when I do not hear from him I am scared he is travelling to me.

"Her mother and brother-in-law have also made statements concerning how scared they are."

She added: "The defendant is 32 and has nine previous convictions for 19 offensives of similar threatening actions."

Defending himself Hurst told the court: "I am a survivor of domestic abuse concerning my ex-partner. I did not know about the none-molestation order until I was arrested at the airport. I apologise for my actions under the influence of alcohol sending messages and cards from abroad. I was only trying to discuss the welfare of my son. References from my all ex-partners have something good to say."

He added: "I made my Premier League debut for West Bromwich Albion in 2011 and have made 350 appearances for various clubs, I will be signed by another club immediately on my release. I am at the twilight of my footballing career and any custodial sentence will end it for good."