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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Martin Domin

Billy Joe Saunders suspended over video appearing to encourage domestic abuse during lockdown

Billy Joe Saunders has been suspended by the British Board of Control after filming a video demonstrating to men how they could hit their partners during the coronavirus lockdown.

Saunders has since apologised and vowed to donate £25,000 to a domestic abuse charity while revealing he has had received death threats.

But he has been suspended while an investigation is carried out.

Saunders had earlier claimed he was joking in the video and likened it to a comedian's stand-up routine.

"I am getting a lot of hate mail wishing me dead, wishing my family and my kids dead,” he told talkSPORT.

Billy Joe Saunders has been suspended by the British Board of Control (Getty Images)

"I haven't got another half but I have got a daughter and if anyone did that to my daughter I would hurt them bad, to be honest.

"I would never use my profession outside the ring but if anyone touched a finger on my daughter I would literally go all hell loose on them. Whatever I have got in my body.

"In other circumstances, and I don't condone what I said, but you get comedians taking the mickey out of people's disabilities etc, it was very silly but you don't see any other people targeted. Is it because of my background, people jump more on it because I've done some stuff in the past?

"I am who I am, I am not going to say I will never make another mistake in my life. I don't intentionally mean to make these mistakes, I didn't have a very good education.

Saunders' promoter Eddie Hearn admitted the most recent footage was "unacceptable" (PA)

"I am not intentionally causing the public any harm at all. I only put it out because I thought it was a laugh, clearly it wasn't."

Saunders is no stranger to controversy having been fined £100,000 by the British Boxing Board of Control for offering a drug addict "£150 of crack" in exchange for performing a sex act.

And his promoter Eddie Hearn admitted the most recent footage was "unacceptable".

Saunders in action against Marceleo Coceres in LA last November (Getty Images)

He told talkSPORT: "I was appalled really. It was so idiotic, it was so frustrating because I know Billy well. It's one step forward, four steps back with Billy Joe Saunders and it is frustrating.

"You just can't do it, especially when you're in your position. It's unacceptable for Joe Bloggs down the street to do it. It's much more unacceptable for a world champion boxer to be doing it.

"Thinking you're having a laugh, or not having a laugh, young people are watching that video. People who are in abusive relationships are watching that video.

"You cannot do it, it's unacceptable."

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