By Alexander Lawrie

Copyright scotsman

Bobby Nwanze, 36, left the woman living “in fear” by constantly phoning and texting her while she was out and taking photos of the mileage on her car to monitor where she had been. The former BBC and Sky Sports presenter took control of the couple’s finances and after they split he threatened to report her business if she didn’t give him cash. He repeatedly labelled the woman “a slut” and told her he would have to give up playing football as he believed she would have sex with all of his team mates. The terrified victim was eventually forced to seek help from Women’s Aid and “feels broken down” by the abuse she suffered that she claims “has made her into a different person”. Nwanze has now been warned by a sheriff he faces a jail term if he breaches a non-harassment order or does not engage with a domestic abuse rehabilitation organisation. He pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of abusive behaviour against the woman when he appeared under the name Charles Nwanze at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month. The court heard a written narration detailing the abuse carried out between April 2019 and March 2023 had been prepared by prosecutors. The narration stated the couple met in 2015 but the relationship began to break down four years later when Nwanze would “frequently question how many men she had sex with” before they met. One occasion saw Nwanze angrily quiz the woman over a previous relationship where he said “I’m never going to touch you again” and “you just make me ill, you’re anything but a Muslim”. The narration stated: “On a day in March 2023 she attended at her child’s school. The accused turned up unannounced at the school. He approached her, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into him. “Another parent at the school observed the accused and his behaviour and how she reacted and looked scared of the accused. “The parent blocked the road with his car to allow the witness to get her [child] into the car and leave, ensuring that the accused did not follow her. This caused her fear and alarm.” The Crown previously accepted not guilty pleas to Nwanze assaulting the woman by seizing her by the neck and striking her to the head and body, all to her injury. He was also cleared of an allegation of forcibly removing her from her home and locking her outside and uttering abusive remarks, all between July 2016 and August 2018. Solicitor Stephen Mannifield said his client had pled to an amended domestic abuse charge that now contained “one single, very minor allegation of violent behaviour” with no injury sustained. The lawyer added that Nwanze and the victim had both made allegations of infidelity during their relationship. Sheriff Peter Anderson placed Nwanze on a two year supervision order and ordered him to attend sessions with the Caledonian Mens Programme, a domestic abuse organisation. The social media creator, from Edinburgh, was also handed a non-harassment order that bans him from having any contact with the victim for three years during the hearing on Tuesday September 30. Sheriff Anderson said: “If you don’t comply with this order then you will be reported back to court. The court then can decide what should happen and one of the things the court can do is to decide a period of imprisonment should be imposed.” Nwanze was born in Nigeria and claims to have moved to Scotland after being scouted by Rangers FC in 1998 and went on to play for Scotland at youth level. His online profile states he was a professional footballer who played with Clyde U19s and worked with the media team with Stenhousemuir FC. Nwanze also has a prominent online presence and has interviewed former Scottish international footballers Derek Ferguson, Kevin Thomson and Garry O’Connor on his YouTube channel.