Former Hibs star Jordon Forster banned from contacting ex-partner for 20 years after campaign of abuse

Forster, 31, repeatedly assaulted former girlfriend Jade Steven during the couple’s “toxic” relationship including strangling her and striking her to the head with a bottle.

The 6ft 2 ex-footballer also smashed household items during fiery arguments, repeatedly made derogatory comments towards her and tried to control what she wore and could eat and drink.

Forster - who starred for the Easter Road club between 2012 and 2017 - also racially abused a child at an Edinburgh restaurant.

The disgraced ex-footballer denied all the allegations against him but was found guilty of five offences a jury following a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month. He returned to the dock for sentencing on Thursday where a sheriff described his behaviour as having “a significant impact” on the victims involved.

Former Hibs star Jordon Forster has been banned from contacting an ex-partner for 20 years | Alexander Lawrie

Sheriff Christopher Dickson said he had “given serious consideration to the imposition of a custodial sentence” but decided to spare Forster a jail sentence.

The sheriff said he was issuing a community payback order as a direct alternative to custody due to Forster’s “limited record” and the “progress made on the previous community payback order”.

Forster, from Gorebridge, Midlothian, was sentenced to wear an electronic tag on his ankle and stay within his home for six months between the hours of 8pm and 5am. He was also told to complete the maximum of 300 hours of unpaid work, placed on a 12 month supervision order and must pay Ms Steven £1,000 in compensation and £250 to the child.

The sheriff also imposed non-harassment orders banning Forster from having any contact with both victims and Jade’s mother Elaine Steven for the next 20 years.

Defence agent Ms McTaggart told the court her client had “expressed remorse” over the abuse but the offences had been committed while he was “a much younger man”.

Jade, 35, told the jury Forster moved into her flat just as few weeks after first meeting him at a capital nightclub while he was playing for Hibernian in 2015. She said their relationship soon became “toxic” due to the footballer becoming aggressive towards her and calling her abusive names including “a fat slag”.

Jade told the trial the burly centre half regularly lashed out by smashing crockery and damaging walls at her home during his out of control rages.

The paralegal described several occasions where Forster attacked her including striking her to the head with a bottle during a violent row. The jury was told of a second incident where Forster pinned the defenceless woman up against a wall by the neck and throttled her.

Jade said the former footballer was “unpredictable”, “nasty” and “liked to be in control” and told the court she was forced to use make up to hide her bruises. She described living with Forster during the lockdown period in 2020 as “the worst time of my life”.

The court heard evidence he also assaulted a child by pushing them to the ground and called the child “a black c***” during an shocking racist incident at an Edinburgh eatery.

Forster told the court he was currently working as a courier driver and said the couple’s relationship was marred by arguments but denied ever being violent towards Ms Steven.

He denied the bottle attack claiming he had accidentally struck her with a plastic milk carton after she had grabbed his arm as they argued. But the jury failed to believe his version and found him guilty of five charges including assaulting Ms Steven to her injury and danger to her life, assaulting a child, and acting aggressively towards Elaine Steven.

The offences were all committed between January 2016 and August 2021.

Forster was also convicted of abusive conduct towards former partner Alicia Dyet when he appeared at the capital’s sheriff court in July 2023. He admitted acting aggressively towards her, repeatedly turning up at her home and workplace and accessing her phone without permission.

Forster also shouted, swore and called the woman derogatory names and on one occasion seized her by the arm, restrained her and threw her on a bed, all during seven months of abuse.

He was banned from contacting Ms Dyet for 10 years and ordered to attend sessions with the domestic abuse organisation Caledonian Mens Programme.

He was also sentenced to a 200 hour unpaid work order and placed on a two year supervision order.

The defender played for Hibernian 79 times and scored six goals between 2012 and 2017. He had loan spells with Berwick Rangers, East Fife and Plymouth Argyle before turning out for Cheltenham Town and Dundee.

Forster moved to Scottish League One side Kelty Hearts and later signed for Lowland League club Tranent Juniors but was sacked following his conviction in 2023.