U.K. group Kasabian announced yesterday that they were parting with their frontman Tom Meighan, and now we know why. The singer has pleaded guilty to assaulting his former fiancée Vikki Ager in an incident that took place on April 9.
The details that follow may be disturbing to some readers.
According to the Guardian, Meighan pleaded guilty to assault in Leicester Magistrates' Court. In a domestic dispute, Ager was hit in the face by an intoxicated Meighan, shoved into a hamster cage, pushed over and threatened with a wooden pallet. Video from the incident showed Meighan striking Ager and dragging her by the ankles in their back garden.
Judge Nick Watson said to Meighan, "I could have sent you to prison for this," further describing the incident as a "sustained attack" that was a "violation of the trust and security that should exist between partners."
Meighan had initially denied the assault charges, then asked police to turn off the video because it was "horrible." The assault was witnessed by a child, who appeared in court.
Meighan was sentenced to an 18-month community order and 200 hours of unpaid work. He will also be required to complete five days of rehabilitation.
His lawyer said he "offers his sincere apologies to the people he has let down and he has sought to address his offending behaviour."
Kasabian announced his departure from the band in a tweet released yesterday (July 6):
The details that follow may be disturbing to some readers.
According to the Guardian, Meighan pleaded guilty to assault in Leicester Magistrates' Court. In a domestic dispute, Ager was hit in the face by an intoxicated Meighan, shoved into a hamster cage, pushed over and threatened with a wooden pallet. Video from the incident showed Meighan striking Ager and dragging her by the ankles in their back garden.
Judge Nick Watson said to Meighan, "I could have sent you to prison for this," further describing the incident as a "sustained attack" that was a "violation of the trust and security that should exist between partners."
Meighan had initially denied the assault charges, then asked police to turn off the video because it was "horrible." The assault was witnessed by a child, who appeared in court.
Meighan was sentenced to an 18-month community order and 200 hours of unpaid work. He will also be required to complete five days of rehabilitation.
His lawyer said he "offers his sincere apologies to the people he has let down and he has sought to address his offending behaviour."
Kasabian announced his departure from the band in a tweet released yesterday (July 6):
Tom Meighan is stepping down from Kasabian by mutual consent. Tom has struggled with personal issues that have affected his behaviour for quite some time and now wants to concentrate all his energies on getting his life back on track. We will not be commenting further.
— KasabianHQ (@KasabianHQ) July 6, 2020