James Argent’s ex-girlfriend Nicoline Artursson breaks her silence after TOWIE star was given suspended jail sentence for pushing her down steps in Spain

James Argent was planning a family with girlfriend Nicoline Artursson before he was charged with domestic violence, it has been alleged. 

The former TOWIE star, 37, was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence and a two-year restraining order against Artursson, 32, after shoving the beauty queen during a violent row in Spain. 

Yet shortly before the row, the pair were said to be happier than ever, leaving Artursson in ‘total shock’ at the outburst. 

After the altercation, passersby rushed to sobbing Artursson’s aid, where she is said to have told them: ‘I can’t believe what’s happened…we planned to have a family.’ 

According to The Mirror, she added: ‘I’m in total shock… my life with Arg was so happy before this.’ 

MailOnline has contacted Argent and Artursson’s representatives for comment. 

James Argent was planning a family with girlfriend Nicoline Artursson before he was charged with domestic violence, it has been alleged.

Argent is now set to listen to the testimonies of domestic violence survivors as part of his obligatory rehabilitation course.

The reality star will also be taught about jealousy and warned about the dangers of prostitution as part of a guide on how to ‘enjoy a positive sexuality’ following his Costa del Sol assault on his girlfriend.

Argent has been warned he must attend – or risk being hauled to prison to start serving the six-month suspended jail sentence he was given after confessing to ‘mistreating’ former Miss Sweden Artursson as part of a plea bargain deal last Monday.

A judge has yet to finalise the details of his ‘re-socialization programme’ and the possibility he could be made to sign up to one lasting around 10 months has not been ruled out.

But experts say they expect Argent to be obliged to attend ten once-a-week workshops where educators will try to make him see what he did was wrong and help him ensure he doesn’t reoffend in the future.

The initiative, called reGENER@r, is a benchmark project in Spain’s fight against domestic violence adapted to offenders whose prison sentences have been suspended.

Gregorio Gomez Mata, co-founder and director of an NGO called Alma which runs the workshops on behalf of Spain’s Prison Service, said: ‘Based on what I’m reading about Argent and the length of his suspended jail term, I’m certain he’ll be made to do the type of course we organise.

‘It runs over ten weeks and it’s five hours a week so around 50 hours in total and people have to attend personally. It’s not something you can do online.’

The former TOWIE star, 37, was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence and a two-year restraining order against Artursson, 32, after shoving the beauty queen in Spain

Gomez Mata went on: ‘With a social worker and psychologist, we try to explain to them why they have made mistakes and analyse why they have felt the right to do what they did to their victims and behaved the way they have.

‘We try to change their way of thinking and acting which is not easy when many of them don’t think what they’ve done is wrong and you’re trying to re-educate people with lots of baggage in ways that go against all the education they’re received.

‘I don’t know the man we’re talking about personally but I can assure you when you get to physical violence, things have happened before and there will have been previous episodes of psychological violence.

‘We don’t arrange meetings between offenders and domestic violence victims but the men who take part in our workshops do listen to the testimonies of women who have been assaulted by their partners.

‘My understanding is that even if he lives in the UK, he’ll have to come and do the course in Spain.

‘It’s one of the conditions he has to abide by if he’s going to stay out of jail because otherwise he will be made to do the prison sentence that has been suspended on the basis he honours the plea agreement he signed.’

Gomez Mata added: ‘My message to Mr Argent would be to take advantage of this course and realise his attitude is wrong and he has to change the way he behaves with women as he’s still a young man at 37.

‘His life will be better and he will be a happier man if he understands that and so will the lives of others he has relationships with in the future.

‘What came out in this court case is almost certainly this incident only but I guarantee you this man’s victim will have experienced other things she could have told the judge about because there will be more.

‘In my experience most of the men who attend our courses say they’re there because of a false complaint and the majority finish accepting that what they’ve done is wrong.

‘But it’s very normal that if they don’t take advantage of this course they end up repeating the same behaviour that landed them in trouble in the first place in the future.

Argent is now set to listen to the testimonies of domestic violence survivors as part of his obligatory rehabilitation course

 The 10 sessions that form part of reGENER@r include one titled: ‘Let’s understand jealousy and emotional dependence.’

Another is called: ‘Let’s enjoy a positive sexuality’ and analyses the negative effects of the consumption of pornography on men’s’ sexual relationships with women.

Session three is titled: ‘Let’s Construct New Masculinities’ where men are invited to question society stereotypes and free themselves of the need to demonstrate they’re always ‘the toughest’ and ‘the best.’

Offenders are also invited to analyse popular fairy tales like Snow White, where a princess is told she can stay with the dwarfs in return for doing the housework.

Court officials confirmed overnight Brexit made it unlikely Argent would be allowed to do a similar course in the UK.

One said: ‘It hasn’t been decided exactly how the course is going to be carried out.

‘With citizens of other EU countries there is normally no problem because they usually have approved courses similar to those in Spain and a rogatory commission is sent so the course can be done there.

‘But there have been problems with the UK since Brexit and is it no longer possible nor is there the necessary collaboration to be able to do it.’

As well as a six month suspended prison sentence, Argent was handed a two-year restraining order preventing him from contacting or approaching Artursson after striking a plea agreement with prosecutors at Fuengirola’s Court of Violence Against Women on May 5.

He is said to have pushed the Swedish model down steps outside a home they were sharing in La Cala de Mijas near Fuengirola following a row.

Court officials say he would be made to serve his time if he breaches the restraining order, or fails to attend the resocialization course he must do.