The police investigation into alleged harassment of Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty is likely to be dropped after his sister, Bethany, withdrew her witness statement, according to a family source. James Peaty, Adam's estranged brother, has been under the threat of charges for the past nine months, described as a "desperately worrying time." He is expected to be granted "No Further Action" (NFA) when he is due to answer bail.
James Peaty was arrested in November of the previous year, the day after Adam returned from a stag weekend in Budapest with a police escort. A builder and former close confidant of his younger brother, James reportedly fell out with Adam and their mother, Caroline, amid a family dispute. James, 34, was arrested by his local force after Adam, 31, allegedly received threatening text messages and expressed fears for his safety. Adam informed his then-fiancée, now wife Holly Ramsay, and her mother, Tana Ramsay, who then alerted her police officer daughter.
James was questioned for two days and released on conditional bail. A source close to the siblings stated that James's lawyer has been informed that the investigation is expected to be shelved due to insufficient evidence. The source indicated that Bethany had seen the texts, describing them as an older brother "spouting off" with no malicious intent. She later shared them with Holly, who at the time was reportedly seeking to emulate Adam's celebrity lifestyle.
Bethany, a mother of two, was the sole Peaty family member to attend Adam's wedding to Holly Ramsay, daughter of chefs Gordon and Tana Ramsay, in December. She was also a guest at Holly's hen party. Reports suggest Bethany later had a falling out with her mother and brother Jamie, then reconciled with her mother, and subsequently argued with Holly, a dispute that is believed to be ongoing. The family source emphasized the toll the situation has taken on Jamie and his wife, Charlotte, noting that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not appear to have enough evidence for any charges.
The source suggested the arrest was made by an "over zealous police force" influenced by a celebrity family with a police officer involved. Bethany's withdrawal of her witness statement is seen as crucial, as without her testimony, there appears to be no case. Jamie was reportedly devastated by his arrest, with the source insisting he poses no threat and that Adam is aware of this. The family also noted that James suffers from ADHD and has experienced severe depression and post-traumatic stress after losing a child. He had reportedly asked Adam to attend the child's funeral for support, but Adam declined, citing a social engagement. This is believed to have escalated the rift between the brothers and the wider family.
Adam's fiancée's sister, Megan, who is a police officer, is believed to have advised Adam to take precautionary measures after he allegedly felt threatened. Adam's return from his stag do was met by five officers at Manchester Airport. The insider added that James was arrested the next day without his necessary medication, causing further distress. The source reiterated that James has always been close to Adam, even helping with home renovations, but that Adam has changed since entering the Ramsay family circle and embracing a celebrity lifestyle.
Staffordshire Police confirmed the arrest of a 34-year-old man on suspicion of harassment, and that he remained on conditional bail. Adam's father, Mark, previously stated that while brothers fight, the situation had escalated beyond normal family disputes, lamenting the lack of empathy for Jamie's mental health issues. Adam's mother, Caroline, reportedly feels torn and was disinvited from Adam and Holly's wedding. Adam has previously reassured fans that there are "two sides to every story" and has spoken about working to improve himself as a person. He recently stated he would "forgive but not forget" his family, indicating reconciliation would depend on their personal improvement. Following a disappointing performance at the Commonwealth Games, Adam alluded to his family fallout impacting his training, a sentiment his family disputes, urging him to reconcile with his mother.