James Hurst, aged 32, from Sutton Coldfield, was sentenced to two years at Birmingham Crown Court this week potentially ending his professional career which has seen him play for Birmingham City and England
As a teenager he had the world at his feet but now footballer James Hurst’s career is in tatters as he faces the best part of a year in prison. The former West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City player, who also represented England as a teenager, was jailed this week for a campaign of ‘obsessive’ harassment against his ex-partner and her family in a bitter row over the care of his child.
The 32-year-old, who represented himself at Birmingham Crown Court, gave a lengthy speech with a plea to be spared further time behind bars to salvage the ‘twilight’ of his career. But his request was denied by a judge who sentenced him for two years, of which he will likely serve half before release on licence.
It is not the first time the defender has found himself on the wrong side of the law over the years. His career started promisingly as he came through the ranks at West Bromwich Albion and played for England under-16s and under-20s.
In 2008 he signed for the-then FA Cup holders Portsmouth amid reported interest from the likes of Manchester United, Aston Villa and Arsenal. He rejoined the Baggies in 2010 before signing for Icelandic club Valur in 2013. In-between Hurst spent loan periods at various outfits including Birmingham City, Blackpool and Shrewsbury Town.
In the latter part of his career he has played for a number of Midlands teams lower down the footballing ladder such as Hednesford Town, AFC Telford United, Nuneaton, Buxton and Sutton Coldfield Town.
Hurst also had a spell at Welsh club Wrexham – recently made famous by its Hollywood owners and Disney documentary – but in December 2017 he was caught drink-driving a Ford Focus along the town’s high street.
Police were first alerted to the fact he was going the wrong way down the one-way system. A court heard he was polite at first and denied having a drink because he had a match to play. He was allowed to turn around and drive off but Hurst was ultimately arrested in a pub after officers were told of him urinating against a building society wall.
A constable recalled the ‘arrogant’ footballer told him: “I’m a millionaire, I will take the ban and pay the fine. I don’t give a f***.”
Another officer said Hurst described himself as a ‘star’, told them to ‘Google’ him and said they could sell his alcohol print-out. It transpired he was nearly twice the alcohol limit. Hurst was convicted of drink-driving and being drunk and disorderly in his absence and latterly admitted failing to surrender. He was banned from the roads for 20 months and hit with a £1,430 fine. In 2019 Hurst found himself making headlines for the wrong reasons again as he embroiled himself in a bizarre Twitter row with Olympic hockey hero Samantha Quek, who has won gold for Team GB.
She had Tweeted her appreciation for tennis legend Roger Federer who she declared ‘still dominates’ at his then-age of 38. But Hurst replied Quek ‘couldn’t even dominate until 29’ prompting her to point out his apparent downward career trajectory from playing for England to non-league football.
But Hurst chirped back branding her achievements ‘irrelevant’, calling her a ‘hack’ and claiming hockey was not a sport ‘anyone cares about’. In 2020 the controversial footballer was hauled before a criminal court again.
In what turned to be an own goal he initially contacted police himself claiming to be a victim of domestic abuse, following an incident at his then-girlfriend’s home in Glasgow’s Drumchapel in the April of that year. Hurst then said the issue had been resolved but officers became aware of an outstanding warrant against him for speeding.
As they tried to handcuff him he claimed he had Covid, coughed at them and threatened to spit at them. Hurst bizarrely declared he was from the ‘Queen’s country’ and that Scottish people were ‘slaves’ to him. He said: “You are not the law, you are civilians in uniform, Queen’s country rules, you live in Scottish slums, I am superior.”
He admitted threatening and abusive behaviour and was ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work as part of a community order. His latest crimes, for which he has now been jailed, resulted from his split with his ex-girlfriend in November 2023 and their dispute over the arrangements for their child.
Between December and June this year he embarked on an ‘obsessive’ campaign of harassment against his former partner, bombarding her with abusive calls, texts and emails. Sometimes Hurst would call her more than 50 times a day as he resorted to using withheld numbers.
He even targeted her brother-in-law when he refused his offer of money to help obtain contact with his child. In a spiteful move Hurst wrote a false Tripadvisor review about his farm business, claiming an animal had attacked a child.
He then turned his attention to his ex-girlfriend’s mother who had acted as a ‘go-between’ by telling her to look after his child ‘properly’. In a card Hurst warned he was ‘watching you like a hawk’.
Hurst’s relentless harassment continued in spite of the family court granting a non-molestation order. He was finally arrested at the airport following a return from holiday and remanded into custody at HMP Birmingham. In a statement Hurst’s former partner described him as ‘unhinged and capable of anything’ as she warned he did not take any notice of court orders.
Hurst, of Somerville Road, Sutton Coldfield, chose to represent himself in the legal proceedings. He admitted stalking without harm, two counts of harassment without violence, two offences of sending false communication with intent to cause harm and one charge of breaching a non-molestation order. As he came to be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday, July 31, he apologised and claimed he was remorseful for his actions, insisting he was only concerned about the welfare of his child.
But wearing a white shirt, tie and grey trousers, Hurst stood up in the dock to give a lengthy tirade against his ex-partner in his own defence speech. He accused her of having been mentally and physically abusive to him, purporting she had even pressured him into changing his surname to hers by Deed Poll.
Detailing a number of alleged incidents he told the court she had once thrown his suitcase over a balcony during a holiday in Spain and abused him five times in 48 hours at Centre Parcs. Hurst went on, claiming she had stolen £2,000 from his bank account and that she arranged to meet up just to incriminate him and take his expensive child car seat.
He described feeling ‘indescribable sadness’ at not being able to see his child and said he went on holiday to the United Arab Emirates and also checked in to a mental health retreat in Indonesia. Hurst expressed regret for messages he sent while abroad confessing he was ‘shamefully under the influence of alcohol’.
He further acknowledged he had been ‘impatient and frustrated’ as he ‘foolishly believed’ he could come to childcare arrangements with his ex outside of court. He alluded to his own mental health struggles, saying he was feeling better in custody after taking his medication. Hurst also confirmed he had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which he said ‘intensifies emotions’.
Finally, he pleaded for a suspended sentence. He said: “Continued custody would end my career at my age. I have an offer from a club, I won’t name, ready to sign me only if I’m released before the season starts.
“I’m nearing the twilight of my career. I have sought help from the Professional Football Association in relation to transitioning into a non-sporting job. I have found it difficult.”
Hurst told the court he was able to operate JCB vehicles and was in the final year of an Open University degree in politics and economics. But ultimately Judge Roderick Henderson had the final word.
He concluded he was content to sentence Hurst without legal representation because he had made his own submission ‘clearly and coherently’. The judge added: “Only immediate custody will serve to demonstrate that court orders need to be followed and ex partners and their family need to be protected. I see no other way of sending the message home to this defendant than imposing an immediate sentence.”
