'It doesn't matter': Reform deputy dismisses court records that say MP kicked his girlfriend

Richard Tice has been challenged for appearing to formed uncertainty connected tribunal documents that elaborate however 1 of the party's MPs was jailed for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend.

The Reform UK lawman person defended James McMurdock, who was jailed 18 years agone for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend, saying the UK is simply a "Christian nation" that believes successful "redemption".

Speaking to the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge, Mr Tice said helium did not judge Mr McMurdock, the party's MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, should beryllium "doomed arsenic a sinner forever".

Mr McMurdock, a erstwhile concern banker, was convicted of assaulting his past woman successful 2006 portion drunk extracurricular a nightclub.

He spent 21 days successful a young offenders' instauration aft admitting to the attack.

Before helium was elected arsenic an MP, the concern banker had not publically disclosed the condemnation and erstwhile it emerged successful July helium had been jailed for attacking his woman erstwhile helium was 19 years old, helium downplayed the incidental arsenic a "teenage indiscretion".

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But further details of what happened during the incidental emerged aft The Times applied to the tribunal for accusation from the authoritative record, which showed helium received the custodial condemnation for "kicking" the unfortunate "around 4 times".

Mr Tice said his workfellow was an illustration of idiosyncratic who "had a atrocious contented astatine a precise young property but has gone afloat circle".

He said the UK was a "great Christian nation" and added: "Are you earnestly saying that if idiosyncratic makes a atrocious mistake successful life, aged 19, that there's nary redemption they are doomed arsenic a sinner forever? No."

He went on: "The full constituent of Christianity is simply a consciousness of if you've done thing wrong, you wage your price. And astatine the extremity of that sentence, immoderate it is, then, successful a consciousness you've done your bit, you served your punishment, immoderate it is.

"Isn't it singular that an idiosyncratic had I, you know, had a atrocious contented astatine a precise young property but has gone afloat circle.

"Doesn't it show, actually, to different young radical that atrocious worldly tin hap - you tin marque atrocious judgements, you tin get things severely wrong. But galore years later, really you tin you tin bash truly well.

"He had a large occupation and extremity up arsenic a subordinate of parliament. I deliberation that's a bully thing."

MPs bash not person to disclose erstwhile convictions to the nationalist erstwhile standing, with lone radical successful situation astatine the clip of the predetermination for a condemnation of much than a twelvemonth barred.

McMurdock's victim's parent brought the incidental to airy a week aft his election, saying helium "left marks connected her body" and "it took 2 information guards to propulsion him disconnected her".

When the allegations were revealed, McMurdock said the brace had argued and helium had pushed her.

Challenged connected whether determination had been a "major discrepancy" betwixt Mr McMurdock's mentation of events and what had been reported, Mr Tice replied that his "understanding" of the incidental was "different" to what The Times said had happened.

Pressed connected what helium believed happened, Mr Tice replied: "It really doesn't matter."

"I'm trusting James," helium said.

"He's bang connected the wealth and I deliberation that what helium says is right. He was there. The tribunal wasn't there. The Times weren't there.

"The instrumentality is the law. The instrumentality ruled that helium had transgressed and helium was punished. He served his punishment."

When the allegations emerged, Mr McMurdock told Sky News the incidental was "the biggest regret of my life".

He said: "While I perfectly contradict the horrific details successful this tale, determination is 1 information successful it that I cannot, nor volition not contradict oregon fell from.

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"A generous idiosyncratic mightiness telephone it a teenage indiscretion but I bash not expect everyone to beryllium truthful kind.

"Nearly 20 years ago, astatine 19 years of age, astatine the extremity of a nighttime retired together, we argued and I pushed her. She fell implicit and she was hurt. Despite being 38 present and having lived a full beingness again I inactive consciousness profoundly ashamed and apologetic.

"Despite america some being precise drunk, I handed myself into the constabulary instantly and admitted my fault. I was charged for what I did, not for what has been claimed, and I faced the consequences past and paid for my enactment successful full.

"This is the biggest regret of my beingness and I privation I could spell backmost successful clip and hole things."