Just in case you were harbouring any doubts...
Yesterday, before photographed having a few larfs with his legal team, Justin Lee Collins was handed 140 hours of community service and instructed to pay legal fees of £3,500 by Hertfordshire city’s Crown Court.
To be honest, that's not even a slap on the wrist, more a slight disapproving look before the inevitable hair ruffle. Or - as one of the domestic abuse charities The Sun spoke to after the verdict put it - "The sentence does not send a strong public message that domestic violence, or threat of violence, is as serious as any other violent crime. Domestic violence kills two women a week. Until the courts give sentences that fit the crime, men like Justin Lee Collins will get away with campaigns of terror and thousands of women, like Anna, will continue to be at risk."
The paper goes on to state: "The court had heard how he subjected recovering alcoholic Miss Larke, 38, to a catalogue of abuse, including calling her a 'dirty vile whore' and a 'slag'. Collins' lawyers had accused her of being a 'fantasist'. Collins and Miss Larke first met in 2006 and stayed in touch. In 2010, he walked out on his wife and two young sons to be with her. They enjoyed a series of exotic holidays but their relationship turned sour and they split in July. His wife Karen - who he is currently divorcing - testified she had never suffered any mental or physical abuse from him."
D'you know what, he was probably perfectly lovely to Karen - until he decided to have an affair and walk out on her. Collins probably didn't want to go so far as to abuse the mother of his children, preferring to vent the rage at an incidental instead. I'm no psychologist by any stretch but it's simple to make the following assumption.
JLC was a chirpy chappy, rabbiting away to cover his deep seated insecurities. Then his darkest fear manifested. Everyone thought Alan Carr was the funny one. He was just the annoying additional with the accent. Next thing you know, the Friday Night Project became the Sunday Night Project... Alan had to cut him loose or sink with him. Carr got his own chat show on Channel 4, while JLC was met with a soulless voice over booth as a stint with Oops TV beckoned. He was losing control of his career. How could he regain that control?! Oh, the usual way people who think they have no control over their lives do - by becoming fastidious about their weight. When that wasn't enough, he then had to control something else. Preferably someone just as insecure as him, upon which he could unleash the torrent of self-loathing.
Just a theory.
>Oops TV... Justin Lee Collins is an abusive bastard. Allegedly.
