AS A TEENAGER, Tom Richards had the word 'Mum' and 'Dad' tattooed behind each ear.

Now the 26-year-old, who has been in the glare of the gossip columns as the ex-boyfriend of East Enders actress Danniella Westbrook, faces a six-month restraining order to keep him away from the people who have been such a “massive” influence in his life.

Richards came straight from Haverfordwest magistrates court last week to speak exclusively to the Western Telegraph.

He had been sentenced for assaulting his mother and damaging a door at the family home.

He says the court process has been the “wake up call I might have needed to grow up” and hopes to now regain respect and rebuild relationships in his home county of Pembrokeshire.

As well as the restraining order, magistrates gave the Narberth native a 12-month community order, with 15-day rehabilitation requirement to address his drinking, and 100 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay a total of £546, including £186 compensation.

A contrite Tom told the Western Telegraph that he was desperately sorry for his behaviour, not only recently but over the past two years.

WT: Why have you come to us today?

Basically I wanted an opportunity to show my remorse and how sorry I am for the way I have conducted myself, not only recently but over the last few years.

WT: When you say over the last two years, is that going back to the beginning of your relationship with Danniella Westbrook?

Yeah, I just I got pushed into the spotlight and as people I know I’m a normal person from Pembrokeshire. In a way I found fame. The lifestyle was completely different.

I lived a fake life for two years and got involved with the wrong people and did things I shouldn’t have done. No blame of anyone else apart from myself. I had the choice but I decided to get involved in it.

WT: You said you did things that you shouldn’t have done. Is there anything that you particularly regret?

A massive regret was using the drugs, I can’t blame that on anyone, I had a choice, chose to do it myself. They say drugs affect you. At the time you don’t think they do at the time but they do mentally and it has literally messed me up. I lost my family through it. The way I conducted myself I came across as a bit of an idiot and lost all respect from people that had respect for me before.

WT: What drugs were you taking?

It was just recreational cocaine use. I’m not saying I condone it. The environment that I was in, it’s a different world down there compared to here, London, America and Ibiza.

WT: There was a lot of it going on then?

Yeah massively.

WT: What advice would you give to someone who found themselves in similar position to yourself?

People think that being famous, being in the spotlight is really good and clever. It does have its pros but I reckon ask anybody who is in that environment, if they had the choice they’d rather not be in it. The money and the lifestyle is good but not when you are living your life that way.

WT: And you said that you’d like to move back to Pembrokeshire.

I’d love to be able to move back to Pembrokeshire full time again and hopefully rebuild friendships with people that I had before. I can understand why they are disappointed in my behaviour and I am sorry to anybody I have let down. And my parents more importantly. But it was a phase I went through and I’m just glad in a way that I am still alive if anything.

WT: Were you involved in behaviour that was quite risky to your wellbeing and to being alive?

Yeah massively. It’s a different environment down there and the circles of people you go around, not just in that celebrity world as such, but it has a dark side to it, with people you should not be involved in.

WT: In terms of your parents, what particularly would you like to say to them?

I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done and I know for a fact that they have worried about me constantly for the last three years. It can’t be easy for them not knowing what I’ve been up to and finding out about it just by reading the paper. It hasn’t portrayed me in the best light but I would like to say that everything that is written about me is not 100% true.

I’d like people to remember me for the person I was before I went into that environment rather than what came out of it.

WT: What kind of person were you before you went into that environment?

Obviously I used to go out and have fun and party before. But I would say people down here are bred a different type of people.

I want to go back to just being able to concentrate on sport not looking over my shoulder to whose taking pictures or whose commenting on what I’m doing. I want to go back to a normal lifestyle.

I’m not doing this for the sympathy vote but it is literally a public apology to the people I was friends with before and my family more importantly.

WT: Did you have friendships in Pembrokeshire that have fallen by the wayside?

When I left I was a kid. I was 22, I hadn’t seen that sort of life. I was naïve if anything and just sort of, I wouldn’t say chased it but it, I liked it at the time. But as everyone says, the grass is always greener.

WT: Did you go up to London to pursue your stage fighting career?

I Went to London for my cage fighting career. And then I met Danniella (Westbrook). I didn’t concentrate on my own life. I lived off her as such. I came across as if I was the big person but I was having to live off someone else’s fame to look after myself.

We had a really horrible break up but I did love her at the time. We’re both glad it’s over otherwise something would have gone wrong. It was not fair on her or my family or me.

WT: What are your feelings towards her now?

I wish her all the best in the world. I hope she does carry on and find more success but that chapter’s done.

WT: Will you watch EastEnders when she is back in it?

I don’t tend to watch much telly. I won’t be looking for her. Not in a bad way, I hope she does really well in it, she’s a great actress but it’s not in my interest.

WT: Would you refocus on cage fighting when you come back to Pembrokeshire?

That lifestyle goes with the celebrity lifestyle it’s all an image. I just want to come home and concentrate on playing sport in Pembrokeshire. Not for money but just to be around my friends and hopefully rebuild a relationship with my family eventually after this restraining order is done.

WT: Have you thought about what sort of work you will do when you come back here?

I just got to get back to normal life again I think if anything I needed this, not needed this but It’s the wake-up call I might have needed to grow up.

WT: Before you went to London what sort of relationship did you have with your parents?

It was brilliant. My mum and dad put in so much time to me and my brother’s sport we had a really good childhood. They gave us every opportunity they could for us to do well. I wasn’t the best in school. I only liked school because of sport. They massively supported me through that.

I would like to mention when I came back from London I lived with my ex-girlfriend who’s a teacher she really did sort my life out. She was really good for me. I thought I was genuinely going to be with her forever. When that break up happened I went off the rails again and that’s what led up to the latest incident.

She was really good for me and kept me on the straight and narrow.

WT: You’ve been in the press quite a lot for anger related events. Do you think you’ve got anger issues?

It’s my job to be angry. But people play on that too much. The public image of me is not what I really am. I think in a way the media have portrayed me as being that to cover other people’s issues that went on before. I don’t really want to say whose but I am sure you are aware. I took the flack for someone else to look after their career.

WT: Were you happy to do that at the time?

I was on my own in an environment I was not used to. I was sort of a little kid in a big bad world. I didn’t know anyone else. It was me being naïve again and enjoying that lifestyle and dealing with it just for the sake of that.

WT: Have you had any anger management counselling or do you plan to in the future?

I will address my issues with drinking. It’s only when I drink I get a bit angry. But I’ve always been the same. What’s disappointed me people are quick to judge when they can hide behind a keyboard then when I see them out and about they are first in line to ask me questions about America and living in Ibiza and Essex. It’s just the same as being anywhere isn’t it? But they just want to know what my life’s like and then they go and tell their mates who tell their mates which I don’t really understand. I put myself in that position by being in the public eye I suppose.

WT: When you say issues with alcohol…?

I admit I’ll not drink in the week but if I was to go out on a Friday I would drink until Sunday. I would drink excessively. One thing I would say is why when I do it is it portrayed as being really bad when people do it every week, every day? It’s just me who is portrayed in the press about it, I suppose it’s an easy target.

WT: You don’t think you’ve got an addiction to alcohol?

I don’t have an addiction to alcohol but I’ve got an addictive personality. I would say. It’s like anything. If I had a can of coke now I would want four.

WT: Is there is anything else you feel you would like to get across?

Obviously I would like to say how sorry I am to my family and my friends and everyone I’ve let down. I would like to be given the opportunity to rebuild relationships.

WT: Are you hopeful for a reconciliation with your parents?

Yeah massively.

WT: When you were in London were they still supportive of you?

When I was in London I didn’t speak to them for a year and a half because of the press and things. I was letting them down it wasn’t nice for them. When I’m in Essex no one cares if I’m in the paper. When I’m in the paper down here, especially if it is in the sun and the star, everyone thinks it is a big deal. I suppose it is a big deal. It was a big deal for me at first.

WT: So you didn’t speak to your parents because you wanted to keep them out of the limelight or because you have gone a bit off the rails?

I went off the rails to be honest on drugs on coke, my fighting suffered from it. I was not training I was just partying every day for a year and a half, two years, every day. I lost weight. I think I went down to nine and a half stone at one point. It doesn’t take a genius to work out what that was from.

WT: So the night in question you had gone out drinking with friends to drown your sorrows?

Pretty much. I’d gone to Narberth to see friends it all stemmed from drinking on that day. I’d been drinking that day and then gone out all day on Sunday.

WT: Is there anything specifically you want to say to your mum? She read out her victim statement in court.

She knows the real truth deep down. I respect and understand the reasons they have pressed charges against me and it has taught me a lesson. I miss my family a lot. I do want to be back in contact with them and rebuild a relationship.

WT: What’s your relationship with your dad like at the moment?

We haven’t spoken for a long time.

WT: I can see your tattoos (of mum and dad) behind each ear. When and why did you get them done?

When I was 18. That was just a tribute to my mum and dad.

WT: Have you got a time scale in your mind of when you would like to be back down in Pembrokeshire?

I’m hoping to sign for a club down here in cricket within the next two week so would be back down here every weekend but still living in Swansea and going up to London.

WT: Do you think when you are in London you’ll be able not to get involved in that sort of lifestyle again?

I will not be involved in it. I’m never going to be 100% out of the spotlight but I’m going to try and keep my head down and stay out the way.

WT: Do you want to be 100% out of the spotlight?

I’ll be honest with you who doesn’t like being there. Everyone likes being there and it is nice sometimes to have people coming up to you and asking for photos. But I want to be known for the right reasons not the wrong reasons.

WT: What do you want people to know you for?

I’d like the chance to rebuild my image. I’m in talks with two reality shows. But it might not be the right time just now. I can’t disclose what it is. Big summer reality show. They’ve been chasing me for a year and a half. It would be a good opportunity to show people the real me.

WT: When you are out and about in Pembrokeshire how do you want people to react to you? Do you want them to come up to you?

I’m the same as everyone else in Pembrokeshire. If not, I deserve to be classified as less of a person for the way I have carried out my behaviour. But I want the chance for people to see me for the real me and get to know me personally rather than what they read what and what’s carried out on social media.

WT: The incident that you’ve been in court for. Can you see any excuse for that sort of behaviour?

No way. I massively regret it. It was purely on the back of alcohol. I’m not saying that I won’t ever get drunk again but in moderation I suppose.

WT: Do you think you have learnt your lesson?

Yeah massively. I’m me, I’m stupid. I’m not the sharpest tool in the box. But I have had to grow up and learn to take responsibility for my own actions while at other times I haven’t I’ve just tagged along with it and not really looked at the bigger picture.

Before if I was offered the chance to go to Ibiza for two days and then not have a home for the next few months I would I would probably be like yeah go to Ibiza. I’m trying to think more long term.