- .N-Dubz star hit Savvas Morgan during an altercation at the event last year
- .Was convicted by at Stratford Magistrates' Court, London and fined £200
- .Her assistant Gareth Varey was cleared of using threatening behaviour
- .Prosecution said it was clear singer had a grudge against Mr Morgan
- .Defence said Mr Morgan provoked her after writing about her sex tape
- .After the verdict she said: 'I am determined to clear my name as I have already done once this week'
Former X-Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos has said she is 'outraged' at being convicted of assaulting a blogger at last year's V-Festival.
The N-Dubz star, 26, was found guilty of hitting Savvas Morgan just days after she was cleared of supplying cocaine.
She is now planning to appeal the guilty verdict which came at the end of what she has described as a 'rollercoaster week'.
Convicted: Tulisa Contostavlos, pictured outside Stratford Magistrates' Court in east London today, was fined £200 for hitting a celebrity blogger at V Festival
Guilty: The N-Dubz star, pictured arriving at Stratford Magistrates' Court in east London today, hit Savvas Morgan during an altercation at the V Festival in Essex
She shook her head in disbelief as the verdict was read out and appeared to mutter 'this is bulls***' as she left the court.
In a defiant statement outside Stratford Magistrates' Court in east London, she said: 'This has been a rollercoaster week for me. I never wanted any of this.
'I did not assault Vas J Morgan and I am outraged at this decision. I will be appealing it.
'There are a number of high-profile witnesses who were there and know what happened. I urge them to come forward and tell the truth at the appeal.
'I am determined to clear my name as I have already done once this week. I repeat - I did not assault Vas J Morgan. I am innocent.'
Sarah Asbrey, senior district crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in the east of England, said: 'It was clear from the evidence that Miss Contostavlos held a grudge against Mr Morgan for previous comments he had made about her on his blog including a link to her sex tape.
'When she saw him at the festival there was an argument between them, which resulted in her assaulting Morgan.
'The outcome of this case shows that no-one is above the law and each case will be dealt with on its own merits.'
Jeremy Dein QC, barrister for Contostavlos, said in mitigation that his client was provoked by the actions of her victim in relation to the sex tape.
He told the court: Mr Morgan played a significant part in humiliating and debasing Miss Contostavlos's reputation, clearly for financial gain.'
Arrival: Her assistant, Gareth Varey, (right) was cleared of using threatening behaviour during the incident last August
Court appearance: She was found guilty of assault just four days after she was cleared of supplying cocaine
District Judge Angus Hamilton said Contostavlos struck Mr Morgan in the face during an argument, causing minor bruising and swelling.'
He said the musician acted in a 'confrontational' manner when she turned towards her victim.
'Her decision to seek to deal with Mr Morgan herself strikes me as aggressive and confrontational,' he said.
He went on to say that he had a 'number of points of concern' about her evidence during the trial.
He found that she 'changed her account' of what she did with her hands during the confrontation. She initially claimed she raised them in a defensive gesture but later said they remained by her sides, he said.
After being convicted of the assault, Contostavlos was ordered to pay a total of £3,020.
This included £200 fine, £2,700 contribution towards the cost of the prosecution, £100 compensation to Mr Morgan and a £20 victim surcharge.
Wearing a blue suit, white shirt and stillettos, she shook her head in disbelief as the verdict was read out and swore as she walked away from the dock.
TV appearances: Savvas Morgan (right) has become a regular cast member in TOWIE since the incident, starring alongside the likes of James Lock (left)
Her assistant, Gareth Varey, was cleared of using threatening behaviour during the incident last August.
Earlier this week, a drugs trial against Contostavlos collapsed at Southwark Crown Court after the judge said there were 'strong grounds' to believe that undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood - known as the Fake Sheikh - had lied in the witness box.
Earlier in the trial, the singer told the court that Mr Morgan conducted a 'vendetta' against her since an incident in which she asked security to remove him from a VIP area at the Whisky Mist nightclub in London’s Mayfair.
She also claimed she believed Mr Morgan was involved in the release of a sex tape of her online. But added that she had no grudge against him, saying: 'He was one of many.'
Since the incident, Mr Morgan has become a regular cast member on ITV's TOWIE.
At the end of the hearing, he said: ‘I’m pleased we can finally put an end to this and move on. It’s been a difficult time for everyone involved and i’d just like to put it behind me. I’ve had my character questioned and now feel vindicated by the verdict.'
Allegations: The singer told the court that Mr Morgan, pictured arriving at an earlier hearing, had a 'vendetta' against her
No comments:
Post a Comment