By Alexander Lawrie

Copyright scotsman

Alexander Galpin abused the woman over an 18 month period including attempting to coerce her into having an abortion and attempting to prevent her from contacting others. Galpin, 24, also seized the woman on the body causing her to fall on a bed and lay on top of her and repeatedly engaged in aggressive behaviour towards her while the pair were in a relationship. He also demanded she should not see her family and not leave their flat when they lived together. The university graduate started up the gourmet food business Luxford Burgers from a shipping container as a click and collect delivery service and opened two restaurants in the city centre. He was crowned the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce ‘Rising Star of the Year’ last year, and was shortlisted for the prestigious High Growth Business of the Year 2025. Galpin, from Silverknowes, Edinburgh, also won Deliveroo’s 2024 Independent Restaurant of the Year Award in Scotland. He was due to retrain as a solicitor with Clifford Chance this year but a spokesperson has confirmed he will no longer be joining the firm following his domestic abuse conviction. Galpin pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive to his ex-partner between March 1, 2023 and October 31 last year when he appeared at the Capital’s sheriff court earlier this year. He returned to the dock for sentencing on Tuesday, where his lawyer Matthew Nicholson confirmed to the court his client had lost a scholarship due the offending and is currently £30,000 in debt. Sheriff John Cook said his behaviour was a serious matter, particularly given the length of time for which it continued. “But having said that you have no previous convictions and the report assesses you for an alternative to a custodial sentence.” Galpin was sentenced to a supervision order for two years and must attend sessions with the domestic abuse rehabilitation organisation, the Caledonian Men’s Programme. Sheriff Cook also imposed a non-harassment order banning Galpin from approaching or contacting the victim for two years. Previously prosecutor Peter Finnon told the court the abuse carried out by Galpin had included attempting to coerce the woman to have an abortion after she fell pregnant with his child. The fiscal depute said one disturbing incident had seen the aspiring lawyer drive his car with his pregnant partner in the passenger seat while the door was open and the vehicle struck a post. A further incident had seen Galpin seize the woman by the body, pull her causing her to fall on a bed and he had made offensive remarks. Galpin’s Luxford Burgers parent company Secure Kitchens Ltd was recently put into liquidation with debts of almost £120,000. He then wrote on his LinkedIn profile: “I am an incoming trainee solicitor at Clifford Chance, one of the world’s leading law firms, where I will start my legal career in August 2025. I am currently studying law towards the LLM Legal Practice at the University of Law, and hold both a Postgraduate Diploma in Law and a Masters of Arts in Politics from the University of Edinburgh.” But a spokesperson for Clifford Chance recently said: “As a policy we do not comment on individual applicants to the firm, but I can confirm this individual will not be a future trainee or join Clifford Chance.”