Dizzee Rascal’s ex-fiancee has stated she left the rapper due to “home abuse”, a court docket has heard.
The rapper, whose actual identify is Dylan Kwabena Mills, denies assaulting Cassandra Jones at a residential property in Streatham, south London, on 8 June final yr, as they argued about their kids after their break-up.
Mills, who attended the trial at Wimbledon magistrates court docket on Friday, had two kids with Jones earlier than they break up up in February 2021.
Helena Duong, the prosecutor, stated the alleged assault occurred in “the context of a home dispute” about little one contact throughout a “pretty chaotic scene” when he dropped off their daughter on the property.
The court docket heard that in the course of the incident, Mills allegedly barged his approach into the home carrying their son, began “shouting and screaming”, “put his brow towards hers and pushed her across the room” and “pushed her to the bottom”.
The prosecution stated that in the course of the incident, Mills “grew to become very offended and began performing erratically, banging his head 3 times on the fridge along with his son in his arms”.
However the defence, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC, questioned “inconsistencies” in a number of witness statements Jones had made concerning the incident.
She requested the court docket to throw out the case due to “elaborations, exaggerations, inconsistencies and lies” in Jones’ proof. “Ms Jones was ready to say completely something concerning the altercation, which was verbal, we are saying,” she stated.
Bennett-Jenkins argued that Jones had “accepted” she beforehand lied about how he had assaulted her. Whereas questioning Jones, the lawyer requested why she wrote in her first police assertion that Mills had “thrown her to the bottom” as an alternative of “pushed” or “barged” – as was now getting used.
Jones, who grew to become more and more upset all through the cross-examination, stated: “I used to be in shock about what had occurred and I used to be nonetheless caring for each our infants. I’m sorry I used the fallacious phrase however what occurred occurred and all I can do is converse my fact.”
Bennett-Jenkins additionally questioned the account of Jones’ mom Daybreak Kirk, who was current in the home in the course of the argument. She stated her daughter yelled that Mills “simply pushed me” regardless of writing in her first assertion that she screamed “he simply dragged me throughout the ground” adopted by Mills protesting “no I didn’t”.
In his first police assertion learn out in court docket, Mills denied the allegations and accused his ex-fiancee of assaulting him.
He stated: “I didn’t push Cassandra to the ground. I didn’t push her brow with my brow. In actual fact, she assaulted me by pushing me and scratching my arm.”
In the meantime, the prosecution rejected Bennett-Jenkins’ argument that Jones was not a “credible” witness.
District Decide Polly Gledhill then denied the defence’s request to toss out proceedings, saying: “For the time being I’m happy that there’s a case to be answered.”
Mills, of Sevenoaks in Kent, who was charged on 2 August final yr, denies assault by beating.
He launched his debut album, Boy in da Nook, aged 18 in 2003 and scored a string of No 1s, together with Bonkers, and Dance wiv Me, on 2009’s Tongue n’ Cheek. He additionally carried out on the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.
The trial continues.