Britain First leader Paul Golding ‘admits violently attacking his former deputy’

The leader of far right group Britain First has been secretly recorded admitting to violently attacking his former deputy.

Paul Golding is heard on a documentary admitting to assaulting Jayda Fransen, who was also in a relationship with him after she joined the party in 2014. 

The recording was made in 2015, and in it Fransen repeatedly challenges Golding about the attacks, which he never denies.

In one, the pair can be heard discussing an attempted assault that he had carried out earlier in the day.

In the clip, which was obtained by investigators from BBC Northern Ireland’s Spotlight, Golding says: ‘What happened this morning…you weren’t innocent.’

Jayda Fransen, former deputy leader of far-right group Britain First (pictured here in 2018), can be heard in the recording challenging Paul Golding

Fransen the responds: ‘I didn’t come near you. You tried to come at me, tried to hit me, you said you were going to kill me and threw a bottle of drink at my face.’

Golding then claims: ‘Driving someone mentally crazy is just as bad as physical.’

Fransen asks Golding if this is what he said to another woman she suggested he used to physically hit.

She adds: ‘Everyone drives you crazy, so you beat them, that’s your excuse?’

Golding is then heard admitting to assault on both Fransen and a second woman.

He says: ‘The only girls I lay a finger on in my life is (name of woman withheld) and you.’

Paul Golding can be heard in the audio recording admitting to assaulting Jayda Fransen (pictured here outside court in 2018). The pair were in a relationship after she joined the party in 2014

Paul Golding can be heard in the audio recording admitting to assaulting Jayda Fransen (pictured here outside court in 2018). The pair were in a relationship after she joined the party in 2014

Jayda Fransen confirmed to the BBC programme that the allegations were true.

She also confirmed she was once in a relationship with Golding. After they split up they continued to live in the same house together.

She quit Britain First at the start of this year.

She told the BBC when they put the allegations to her that ‘why would a dozen people lie.’

She said the abuse went on for ‘five years’. She said it ‘didn’t take long to start’ after she joined Britain First and ‘on varying levels, continued’

When she heard the clip of his admitting abusing her, she said: ‘It’s quite embarrassing because I almost feel as if I have let people down.’

The recording was made in 2015, and in it Fransen repeatedly challenges Golding (pictured in January) about the attacks, which he never denies

The recording was made in 2015, and in it Fransen repeatedly challenges Golding (pictured in January) about the attacks, which he never denies

She said it was ‘such a stupid position to put and keep herself in.’

She said: ‘There were incidents that could have gone so badly wrong. I could have ended up really hurt or worse.

‘I guess that is where the fear came in because I thought I am going to end up dead.’

She confirmed he would lock her in the house when he went out, claiming that it was for her own protection.

‘This was my normality, this was my day to day existence was just complete control, being controlled. I just accepted that that was what he was going to do,’ she said.

‘If they went out. He would lock me in the house.’

Britain First leader Paul Golding was found guilty at Folkestone Magistrates' Court in March 2018 of religiously-aggravated harassment

Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen was found guilty at Folkestone Magistrates' Court in March 2018 of religiously-aggravated harassment

Golding, left, and Fransen, right, were both found guilty at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court in March 2018 of religiously-aggravated harassment

She says she never went to the police, because she didn’t want to damage the reputation of the party.

She said: ‘I don’t want to sit here and go into graphic detail, dish the dirt on everything that happened. 

‘But there is also a moral obligation, to anyone, male or female, involving themselves in Britain First, with no idea that this is how the leader is conducting himself.’

Britain First have become active in Northern Ireland and has set up its party headquarters in the Shankill Road area of Belfast.

The BBC said it had spoken to a dozen former members of Britain First who were aware of the assaults.

The BBC put the allegations to Golding.

He told the programme: ‘I have been advised to warn you that any libel or defamation will result in legal proceedings.’   

The MailOnline has also contacted Britain First for a response.        

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk