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Chris Brown pleads not guilty to ‘bottle attack' charge

Chris Brown pleads not guilty to ‘bottle attack' charge

The American musician, 36, is accused of attempting to unlawfully and maliciously cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Abraham Diaw at the Tape venue in Hanover Square, Mayfair, on February 19 2023.
His co-defendant, US national Omololu Akinlolu, denied the same charge in a plea and trial preparation hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Friday morning.
The singer walked past a large group of photographers (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Both defendants are further charged with assaulting Mr Diaw occasioning him actual bodily harm, with Brown also facing one count of having an offensive weapon – a bottle – in a public place.
They were not asked to enter pleas to those charges with a further court hearing set for July 11.
Around 20 people sat in the public gallery behind the dock for Friday's hearing, many of them fans of Brown.
A date for a five to seven-day trial was set for October 26 2026.
Brown had arrived at around 9am to a large group of photographers outside court, and walked in silence to the building's entrance.
The Go Crazy singer, who was able to continue with his scheduled international tour after he was freed on conditional bail last month, performed in Cardiff on Thursday night.
He had to pay a £5 million security fee to the court as part of the bail agreement, which is a financial guarantee to ensure a defendant returns to court and may be forfeited if they breach bail conditions.

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Mystery female donor who paid £1,300 fine to free Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner is former COP who investigated him
Mystery female donor who paid £1,300 fine to free Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner is former COP who investigated him

Scottish Sun

time14 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Mystery female donor who paid £1,300 fine to free Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner is former COP who investigated him

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And when confronted over the fine payment, the woman bizarrely told Spiegel it has been a 'misunderstanding' and she had tried in vain to reverse the payment. She reportedly believed the fine was due to Brueckner insulting a police officer, something she said "wasn't justified". Madeleine McCann: the secret evidence on prime suspect Christian B | Sun Documentary When she learned that the penalties were actually to do with a number of infractions, including bodily harm, 'it was already too late,' she said. Advertisement Spiegel reports it has been able to verify she transferred £1,300 to an account of the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office at the Comdirect bank. It cleared a 2016 Helmstedt District Court fine for drunkenness in traffic and forgery of documents and a 2017 Braunschweig court levy for assault. Brueckner will now walk free when his sentence for raping an American woman, 72, in Praia da Luz, in 2005, ends. He has been named publicly as the prime suspect over the May 3, 2007 disappearance of Maddie, of Rothley, Leics., since 2020 but has never been charged. Advertisement He has used letters to deny the claims but has refused to answer police questions or provide an alibi. His phone was in Praia da Luz on the night Madeleine vanished and made a 30-minute call from the area. 6 Young Maddie vanished on May 3, 2007 in Portugal Credit: Alamy 6 Brueckner appeared in court earlier this year over verbal assaults on prison guards Credit: Rob Pattinson Advertisement His Jaguar was re-registered into a name the day after the disappearance. A Sun investigation this year revealed bombshell new evidence - including Brueckner's obsession with snatching and abusing small, young, blonde girls. 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Timeline of Maddie's disappearance May 3, 2007 Madeleine McCann disappears from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, sparking a massive police search and becoming one of the most famous missing persons cases in history. January 15, 2016 Neighbour reports a possible 'grave' at Brueckner's abandoned factory in East Germany. Cops find disturbing images on USB sticks and launch a full-scale search. February 16, 2016 Christian Brueckner is convicted for abusing a girl of five in a park after images found on his laptop. He was sentenced to 15-months behind bars but was already on the run by then. May 3, 2017 Around this time, Helge B calls an information hotline after watching a ten-year anniversary special on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. He reports an alleged confession by Christian Brueckner. September 27, 2018 On-the-run Christian Brueckner is arrested over outstanding drugs claims in Italy. He is extradited to Germany the following year. 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October 8, 2024 Brueckner was acquitted of all claims. Prosecutors launch an appeal, however. Decision pending. September 17, 2025 Date on which Christian Brueckner will be released from custody without action being taken. Prosecutors require an arrest warrant for a retrial over claims from last year - or over the McCann case. June 1, 2025 Police order a renewed search for clues in Praia Da Luz on the Algarve in Portugal. It lasts for just three days. 6 Brueckner is serving time in jail after being convicted of rape Credit: Rex Features

SFA gives detailed response to 'misleading' Rangers disciplinary complaint
SFA gives detailed response to 'misleading' Rangers disciplinary complaint

STV News

time18 minutes ago

  • STV News

SFA gives detailed response to 'misleading' Rangers disciplinary complaint

The Scottish FA has responded to Rangers' complaint about their disciplinary process, saying the Ibrox club made misleading comments about their judicial system. Rangers went public with their anger over a £3,000 fine levied by an independent panel over comments made on club TV by former player John Brown. While commentating on a match against Hibs at Easter Road, Brown claimed a controversial decision not to award Rangers a goal was 'corrupt' and doubled down on his statement after his colleague corrected his language. Following the decision, which punished the club under a rule that prevents allegations of 'bias or incompetence' being directed at match officials, Rangers issued a lengthy statement claiming that similar incidents at other clubs have gone unpunished, and that the decision has 'implications for clarity and confidence in the regulatory system'. The club said that Brown has spoken 'spontaneously and emotionally' and that his comments 'come with the territory' of live broadcasting. The Scottish FA has now responded, saying that the written reasons from the independent disciplinary panel will be published in due course, but taking issue with the points made by Rangers. The governing body said that they had to address 'misleading comment' in the interest of accuracy and said that the decision and punishment were in accordance by the rules that all member clubs are expected to adhere to. A recent case involving Motherwell's Richard Foster was highlighted, with Foster having been banned from the touchline for six games after making similar comments last season. The SFA also answered a query about the 'rationale behind different outcomes', saying that the organisation's compliance officer can take action short of a full disciplinary charge. Recent incidents involving three Rangers players were given as an example. The statement read: 'Furthermore, to address the comments regarding 'rationale behind differing outcomes', we wish to point to the fact that investigations were undertaken in previous cases outlined and that the Compliance Officers of the time saw fit to issue a censure by way of warning letter for potential breaches deemed insufficiently serious to be progressed to a Notice of Complaint. 'This system of proportionality has been adopted since the inception of the Judicial Panel Protocol in 2011. Indeed, such discretion was exercised last season when the Compliance Officer wrote to the club to warn of the future conduct of players following matters involving Vaclav Cerny, Dujon Sterling and Mohamed Diomande. 'We also note that Rangers intend to contact the association to seek clarity on the Judicial Panel Protocol and its application. The club is, in fact, already represented on the JPP Working Group.' The statement concluded by reminding all clubs of their responsibilities in regard to referees, pointing out that the rule that Brown broke with his comments was brought in by clubs to protect referees following their strike in 2010. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Reality dating show fans amazed by 'the best episode of all time'
Reality dating show fans amazed by 'the best episode of all time'

Metro

time33 minutes ago

  • Metro

Reality dating show fans amazed by 'the best episode of all time'

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