Princess Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith came under fire this morning as he was questioned on domestic abuse charges.
Goldsmith, 58, was first to leave Celebrity Big Brother on Friday as he was met with “boos” from the crowd.
The businessman came under fire in 2017 after being charged with assault by beating. Goldsmith admitted to knocking his wife Julie-Ann Goldsmith to the ground in a drunken row.
Questioning him on Good Morning Britain, presenter Ed Balls said: “You said in the opening video: ‘I’m an absolute nightmare to live with. There is a reason I’ve had four wives.’ Is the reason that you beat a wife up or is there another reason you were alluding to there?”
Taken aback, Goldsmith responded: “Wow, Ed. No. There was one thing that happened seven years ago. I’m not a serial wife-beater. But thanks for that.”
The presenter’s GMB co-host Susanna Reid had also earlier asked Goldsmith about his assault conviction.
She said: “I want to take you back to something you said at the beginning of the interview and also in the house, and that is you wanted to change perceptions of yourself. Now you didn’t directly talk about that in the house, what that was about, but was that about your conviction for domestic assault?”
Goldsmith replied: “There are lots of things that I’m regretful of. I try to live my best life but I fail consistently. That was a horrific episode.
“There are two sides to every story but ours were never heard. It was considered by the judge that both my wife and I were intoxicated so they discounted everything we said and they only listened to a taxi driver who sold a story. It’s best in that position to put your hands up.
“I’m far from innocent in that whole situation and I have regretted it for seven years. I’m trying to do everything I can day by day to be a better person. I love my wife dearly; we’re still very much in love. It was a very tough period of time and it wasn’t the best of me.”
Goldsmith admitted to punching his wife with a “left hook” after she slapped him outside a private members club in London in 2017.
She was left unconscious for around 15 seconds after falling to the floor and hitting her head. In court, he later admitted one charge of assault by beating and was handed a 12-month community order with 20 rehab sessions to ensure “this sort of loutish behaviour does not reoccur.”
Goldsmith was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.
