
James Argent's Miss Sweden girlfriend ‘sobbed to stranger in street' after he pushed her down steps in Spain
JAMES Argent's beauty queen girlfriend sobbed to a stranger in the street after being pushed down the steps by her famous boyfriend, it has been reported.
Argent abandoned Nicoline Artursson, 32, after the incident which forced her to turn to the passerby for help.
4
4
According to The Mirror, the witness had been dining in a restaurant in Mijas, Spain, when he noticed a commotion.
The witness said that they heard 'a lot of screaming in the house', while Argent threw all of his clothes from the balcony.
Then, the former Towie star 'ran out with a large bag'.
The witness went on to say: 'Nicoline was crying a lot and very nervous and agitated on the street, trying to call the police, but they didn't speak English, so I went to help her translate.
'She said nothing like this had ever happened before.'
The former Miss Sweden then said: 'I can't believe what's happened...we planned to have a family."
She added: 'I'm in total shock…my life with Arg was so happy before this."'
According to the witness, the incident occurred at 11pm with both Nicoline's mother and the police arriving after Argent had fled.
The passerby claimed that the police encouraged Nicoline to report the incident.
He added: 'Her mother told her to grab some clothes and said 'we'll go'. I went home but I told them if they needed help, I'm here.'
Dan Edgar breaks silence on Arg's return to Towie - and behind the scenes Dancing On Ice struggle
According to the witness, he had no idea that either Nicoline or Argent were famous.
They said: 'I just saw a girl crying on the street trying to call the police, and I went out to help and translate.
'Then she stayed with the police, and I went home.
'She kept thanking me for being with her and helping her.'
Argent was arrested by the police on bank holiday Monday, shortly after fleeing from the scene.
He was eventually hauled in front of a court, where he admitted a charge of domestic violence.
The former Towie star was given a suspended sentence, as well as a two-year-restraining order which prevents him from seeing or contacting Nicoline.
He was also forced to attend a 'resocialisation course in the field of gender violence' by the Court of Violence Against Women in Fuengirola.
His former girlfriend sat in the Fuengirola court while his sentence was handed down.
Nicoline remained in Spain after the incident, while Argent returned to Essex in the UK.
Step in to prevent it
By Emma Armstrong, CEO of charity I Choose Freedom
MOST abuse incidents happen behind closed doors and, because of low conviction rates, no one knows the full scale.
In this case, the restraining order is important as domestic abuse is rarely a one-off.
Including a gender violence course also shows the Spanish court knows prevention is critical.
We will see a meaningful reduction in cases only when we combine a response that deals with the immediate issue, and prevents abuse in future.
Argent finally broke his silence on May 14, after days of silence, by talking to the MailOnline.
He said: "I haven't relapsed.
'I am still three years and four months clean and sober.
"I am devastated by what's happened."
One of his friends also revealed more about the star's whereabouts after his arrest.
The friend told The Sun: 'James has been at home in Essex since this happened.
'He said he had a row with Nicoline and that he tried to end the argument.
"James said he pushed Nicoline and that she fell. He is remorseful about what happened but is insisting he never meant any harm.
'He's extremely sorry for it.
'James said he was honest when he spoke to the police and told them everything that had happened.'
Domestic abuse - how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
Emotional abuse - Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse - gaslighting - being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
Threats and intimidation - Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
Physical abuse - This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
Sexual abuse - Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night
Men who are being abused can call Respect Men's Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or ManKind on 0182 3334 244
Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring Galop on 0800 999 5428
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
4
4
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Abba singer Björn Ulvaeus teases fans in London with AI-assisted musical
After bringing a blockbuster hologram version of Abba to a purpose-built venue in east London, Björn Ulvaeus's next technological exploration is a musical that he's written with the help of artificial intelligence. Ulvaeus told an audience at SXSW London that he was 'three-quarters' of the way through writing a new musical which he has created with assistance from AI songwriting tools. He did admit the technology had limitations when it comes to songwriting, saying it was 'lousy at [writing a whole song]' and 'very bad at lyrics' but was helpful whenever the 80-year-old songwriter reached a creative impasse. 'You can prompt a lyric you have written about something, and you're stuck maybe, and you want this song to be in a certain style,' Ulvaeus said. 'You can ask it, how would you extend? Where would you go from here? It usually comes out with garbage, but sometimes there is something in it that gives you another idea.' The use of AI is a hugely contentious issue in the music industry. This year, Dua Lipa and Paul McCartney were among hundreds of artists who signed an open letter urging the prime minister to protect artists' copyright and not 'give our work away' to big tech. Ulvaeus said AI isn't the creative threat but rather a collaborator. 'It's fantastic. It is such a great tool,' he added. 'It is like having another songwriter in the room with a huge reference frame. It is really an extension of your mind. You have access to things that you didn't think of before.' The musical is far from Ulvaeus's first flirtation with technology. Abba Voyage, the concert which launched three years ago in a purpose-built arena that featured digital avatars of the band, has been a huge success and was described as a 'dazzling retro-futurist extravaganza' by the Guardian. It was a risky venture as Pophouse Entertainment, the company behind the project needed to bring in £140m in order to break even. He told the audience at SXSW London that he embraced experimental approaches to songwriting and studio technology much earlier in his career. This experimental approach is characteristic of Ulvaeus's career-long fascination with technological innovation. During his time in Abba, he along with bandmate Benny Andersson 'always wanted the latest thing', and were among the first to use the Mini Moog synthesizer and use digital recording machines in their studio. 'We were always on the lookout for, you know, you would hear a sound on the record. How was that done? And then you get that stuff,' said. The Abba songwriter told the audience that he sees AI as the latest evolution in his career rather than a threat which is how it is perceived by many. 'I actually wake up curious every morning,' Ulvaeus said, explaining the drive that has kept him creating decades after Abba's peak. 'Everything's really after our wanting to try new things.'


Telegraph
28 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Criminals access HMRC records of 100,000 taxpayers
The records of up to 100,000 taxpayers have been accessed by organised criminals following an attack on HMRC. The tax authority is thought to have lost £47 million as a result of the breach last year, with officials telling MPs that 0.2 per cent of PAYE taxpayers with personal accounts were affected – representing about 100,000 people, according to Business and Accountancy Daily. The raid comes after HMRC pushed millions of workers to file their tax returns online as part of its Making Tax Digital scheme. Officials told the Treasury committee that the incident was 'not a cyber attack' but instead took the form of multiple phishing attacks 'designed to extract money' from the tax authority, carried out by several organised crime gangs over an extended period last year. However, on its website, the taxman confirmed it had only just started writing to affected taxpayers, with letters set to arrive between now and June 25. The news came to light on the same day that HMRC's phone lines were hit by a system outage, which meant only those using the specific phone number in the letters to phishing victims were able to call the organisation. Those affected have been told they do not need to take any action and HMRC has said it has locked down any accounts impacted by the breach and deleted log-in credentials. HMRC had told public to beware phishing Phishing attacks occur when a criminal tricks a victim into disclosing personal details, often by pretending to be a trusted figure such as a police officer or HMRC worker. HMRC warned the public as recently as January, ahead of the tax return deadline, to be on alert for phishing texts which often included phrases such as 'you have an outstanding tax refund' along with a link to 'claim' it. HMRC has been repeatedly criticised for rushing to shift customers online. In January this year, MPs on the public accounts committee said the organisation had 'willingly allowed its phone services to fail' to force taxpayers to use the internet. Average wait times for taxpayers using the telephone helpline jumped to 23 minutes in the first 11 months of 2023-24, according to a National Audit Office report, up from five minutes in 2018-19. HMRC announced last month that it would no longer process requests for self-assessment refunds over the phone or via webchat due to a rise in suspected fraud. In the past, the tax authority has formally disciplined staff for failing to protect taxpayer data. HMRC sacked 40 members of staff for breaches of data security and issued written warnings to 95 in 2020-21, according to figures obtained by The Telegraph in 2021. An HMRC spokesman said on Wednesday: 'We've acted to protect customers after identifying attempts to access a very small minority of tax accounts, and we're working with other law enforcement agencies both in the UK and overseas to bring those responsible to justice. 'This was not a cyber-attack – it involved criminals using personal information from phishing activity or data obtained elsewhere to try to claim money from HMRC. 'We're writing to those customers affected to reassure them we've secured their accounts and that they haven't lost any money.'


The Guardian
36 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Youth workers in London custody centres stop 90% reoffending, says report
A scheme aiming to turn children arrested for violence away from crime has claimed staggering success, with up to nine out of 10 diverted from further offending, a new report says. Under the scheme, which is funded by London's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), special youth workers are placed in police custody centres across the capital. The VRU claims the overwhelming majority of 10- to 17-year-olds do not reoffend within 12 months of release from custody. Lib Peck, the director of the London VRU, said the £40m-a-year cost of the unit, which runs a range of initiatives, is more than made up for by the money saved from the cost of reoffending. She said prevention works and deserves more money, adding: 'Society and government have focused a lot more on policing and enforcement than they have on prevention.' A report to mark London VRU's first five years of operating says the cost of youth violence in London alone is £1bn a year, including the cost to the police, courts system, health and victim services. VRUs sprung up across the UK amid a growing concern over knife crime. London's unit is the biggest, with the capital also suffering the highest rate of knife crime. The report details what drives violent crime and how a public health approach can help reduce it. The scheme includes support based at hospital emergency departments aimed to stop retaliation from victims of violence, as well as services in police custody suites that have tried to help 800 children. The report says: 'Monitoring data shows that nearly three-quarters of young people in hospital following a stabbing or violent incident reduced their risk of harm after the intervention from a youth worker. 'And last year, data reported by our projects showed that almost 90 percent of teenagers arrested for violent offences did not reoffend over the next 12 months following intervention and help from a youth worker based in the busiest police stations in London.' The scheme is showing signs of being able to exploit the 'teachable moment', long talked about by police and youth workers. It is the point where someone is wavering between continuing as a criminal or turning their back on violence. Michael Gosling, one of the London youth workers based in police custody, said he tries to earn childrens' trust and tells them not to discuss their crimes with him, with most wanting to talk about what led to them being under arrest. 'Going into custody can be quite scary,' he said. 'I try to appeal to them by using body language. I tell them I am there for them, I am not there to judge them. 'We are not wearing the get up of a police officer. I make it clear I am not a police officer.' Austerity led to a retreat from the streets where gangs driving violence took hold. VRUs and the expansion of youth work they involve, represent an attempt to counter attitudes supporting violence. Gosling said of one case: 'He was a product of his environment.' Some youngsters are driven by needing money to eat, others to buy trainers or just getting money exploiting 'the playground of opportunities', Gosling said. 'Older gang members are looking for younger children who are vulnerable, to recruit them,' he added. Gosling said others see violence as a necessary part of their attempt to make money: 'The thought process is here and now. They are out to get it by any means necessary.' The report says low trust in the Metropolitan police damages the fight against crime: 'Trust and confidence in policing have seen sustained declines over recent years – just 46 percent of Londoners believe the police do a good job in their local area. This is 10 percent below where it was 5 years ago.' One young person mentioned reportedly described their reluctance to report a crime to the police, 'saying they weren't sure if they would be treated as a victim or perpetrator. They described feeling 'powerless''. Peck said: 'I don't think you can get away from the fact that it's a very problematic relationship at times. 'We just see the consequences of it.' The VRU also claims success reducing school exclusions, and says children not in education are more likely to become involved in violence. Peck said: 'Whatever the cost to the taxpayer [of the VRU] we are saving the same or saving more.' Since the VRU started in 2019, homicide rates are down in the capital and its murder rate is now lower than Paris, Toronto, Manchester and Berlin, but higher than Rome and the West Midlands. Other crime types are increasing and London's VRU, largely funded by the mayor, is seen as a long term project for a decade or more. Key factors driving violence remain poverty, deprivation and alienation, with drugs a key factor – 56% of homicides between 2012/13 and 2017/18 in London were drug-related, according to the report. There is also an increase in the proportion of 10- to 14-year-olds suspected of violence.