'NO EXCUSE FOR ABUSE'
Fury as Kasabian’s Tom Meighan dodges jail for ‘inexcusable’ attack on ex-fiancee he dragged by ankles
MUSIC fans and domestic violence charities have slammed the decision to spare Kasabian singer Tom Meighan from a jail term after he admitted attacking his girlfriend in a booze-fuelled rage.
The rocker, 39, broke down in court yesterday as CCTV showed him hitting ex-fiancee Vikki Ager and then dragging her by the ankles into the back garden of their home.
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Meighan also threw his partner of four years across a room and into a hamster cage before threatening her with a wooden pallet during the "sustained attack".
Ms Ager was left with swelling to her eye, a head injury, bruises to her knees, elbow and ankle as well as reddening around the neck.
The singer wiped his eyes with a tissue and held his head in his hands as he admitted the domestic abuse charge at Leicester Magistrates Court heard.
But he avoided jail after District Judge Nick Watson ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Following the sentencing, Kasabian were criticised for releasing a statement ahead of the court case saying Meighan was leaving the band for 'personal reasons'.
Domestic abuse charity Women's Aid wrote on Twitter: "Disappointing to see @KasabianHQ say the reason their lead singer was leaving the band was due to ‘personal reasons that affected his behaviour’.
"Today he pleaded guilty to assaulting his former fiancée in front of a child. There is no excuse for abuse."
Sophie Walker, CEO of Young Women's Trust, added: "A day after #DomesticAbuseBill passes Tom Meighan gets community service rather than a prison sentence and a small-mouthed goodbye from his band referring to 'personal issues'.
"We have a long, long way to go."
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The band later released a second statement saying they could not speak about the domestic violence charge publicly until court proceedings had concluded.
Now the remaining band-members say his abuse and violence is 'inexcuseable'.
A statement said: "We were left with no choice but to ask Tom to leave the band.
"There is absolutely no way we can condone his assault conviction.
"Domestic violence and abuse of any kind is totally unacceptable."
They said they'd had to hold back information of the charge against him "until he was found guilty in a court".
"As soon as we found out about the charges made against Tom, we as a band made the decision we could no longer work with him."
"Domestic violence is something that can never be excused."
Meighan faced further fury after tweeting he was 'in a good place' between the band's announcement and his guilty plea.
He wrote: "Following today's announcement I just wanted to let you all know that I am doing well. I'm in a really good place now.
"Thanks for all your love and support. I'll be seeing you all very soon. TM x #TomMeighan #Kasabian"
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a . from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Sentencing Meighan at Leicester Magistrates Court, Judge Watson said the victim hasn't made a statement to police and doesn't appear to support the prosecution.
";Of course, that choice does not mean I should treat this offence any less seriously," the judge said.
"You knocked Ms Ager over on more than one occasion and put your hands to her throat.
"You hit her in the face and pushed her into a hamster cage, which resulted in injury to her head.
“You threatened her with a wooden pallet. It seems you thought better of it, thankfully, and threw it down on the hot tub aggressively.
"Throughout most of the video she could be seen fighting you off.”
Judge Watson said the sentence took into account that Meighan had let down “many people” including his bandmates and fans
He added: “They will be shocked about what you did that night.”
ROCKER GUILTY
The singer "smelt heavily of intoxicants" as he attacked Ms Ager on April 9 this year, the court heard.
A witness to the assault rang 999 to say a "domestic incident was taking place".
Prosecutor Naeem Valli said the caller "sounded panicked and afraid" and Ms Ager could be heard saying "get off me, get off me".
Mr Valli said officers described the victim as being "visibly upset" while Meighan was said to be "unco-operative and aggressive".
Meighan was arrested at the scene but had to be transported to a police station in a van because he was confrontational behavior.
When questioned by police he denied an assault but after seeing the footage accepted that he “threw the victim across the room in a rage”.
Meighan originally denied an assault had taken place but after watching video footage, he told officers he could not watch it any further because it was "horrible".
Mr Valli said the offence "could be argued to be relatively serious" - describing it as a "sustained assault".
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LOCKDOWN ATTACK
Defending Meighan, Michelle Heeley QC told the court: “They bickered a lot and they had been residing in the house because of lockdown
“They had been drinking and had a few bottles of wine. He accepted he was intoxicated.”
The lawyer said Meighan accepted the incident was “wholly of his own making”, adding that: “All parties seek to move on.”
She added: "You can see his discomfort in court. To find himself in court is a personal humiliation but he has no-one but himself to blame for that.”
She said: “The pressure of the lockdown situation, the lack of work meant that he succumbed and began to drink again.
“It’s clear on the day of the offence he and his partner had been drinking to excess. They had been in good humour before this offence.”
Ms Heeley told the court he “offers his sincere apologies to the people he has let down and he has sought to address his offending behaviour”.
Meighan, known for his rockstar style and swagger on stage, had fronted Kasbian since 1997 with the band going on to release six top 10 albums, win a string of awards and headline Glastonbury in 2014.
Fans said they felt deceived by the initial statements made by the band and Meighan himself - and spoke of their horror and outrage after the facts of the case came to light.
Clash Magazine said both the initial statement about the reasons for the singer's departure, and the defendant himself, were 'appalling'.
Telegraph writer Michael Hogan said the band's announcement about Meighan leaving for "personal reasons" when "they knew full well he was due in court in less than 24 hours for domestic violence" was "cynical and shameful".
Fan Tim Stevens tweeted: "Yesterday, I backed Tim Meighan without knowing the full facts, now it’s all come out, I can genuinely say, with hand on heart, that he can go and f*** himself."
Meighan's departure from Kasabian leaves guitarist Serge Pizzorno and bassist Chris Edwards as the only remaining founding members, with current drummer Ian Matthews joining the group in 2004.
A source said: “The guys all love Tom dearly, but the current situation is untenable. Sadly parting ways for the time being was the only answer.”
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The singer has been dogged by personal problems including drug and alcohol abuse.
He became infamous for outspoken remarks about fellow stars, including Pete Doherty and Justin Timberlake.
It was not clear whether Kasabian will seek a permanent replacement.
If you are affected by domestic abuse, please call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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