Ex-fiancee of Dizzee Rascal speaks out after rap star loses assault conviction appeal
DIZZEE Rascal's ex-fiancee has told survivors of domestic violence "you are not alone" after the rapper lost his appeal against his conviction for assaulting her.
Cassandra Jones said the court's verdict showed that "wealth and status cannot be used to silence women", and that "support is out there".
She said: "Domestic abuse is a crime impacting one in four women in their lifetime.
"I would like to thank my family and friends and the specialist organisations who have supported me throughout and also say to other women experiencing abuse that regardless of money or influence, support is out there, and you are not alone."
Ms Jones added that the appeal had been "hugely upsetting" for her, and the experience had helped her understand why "so many women drop out of the criminal justice system".
Dizzee Rascal, 38, whose real name is Dylan Mills, was found guilty at a trial in April last year of assaulting Ms Jones by pressing his forehead against hers and pushing her to the floor during a "chaotic" row at her south London home in June 2021.
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The musician, who is known for chart-topping singles Bonkers and Dance Wiv Me, sat quietly in the dock at Inner London Crown Court as his appeal against conviction and sentence was rejected.
District judge Vanessa Baraitser, who was sitting with a panel, said they were "satisfied" the case had been made out "in the way that had been alleged by the Crown" and that Mills "used his forehead to push Ms Jones around" the room.
During his trial, Mills, who had two children with Ms Jones before they split in February 2021, was said to have "barged" into the home, banged his head on a fridge three times while holding his son, and started "shouting" at his ex-partner and her mother Dawn Kirk.
The judge said Ms Kirk had been a "compelling" witness whose evidence during the appeal had been "balanced" about the angry scenes she had seen that night.
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Ms Jones earlier told the appeal hearing she had "stumbled to the ground" after Mills "pushed his forehead into my forehead and pushed me around the room".
She said: "He reached his red mist where he just doesn't care."
Giving evidence on Friday, Mills denied the claims and said he was not angry when he arrived at the house.
He told the court that Ms Jones was "hostile" to him when he got to her home.
Mills said he had a "good day" with his family in the hours before.
He said he was not in a "bad mood" when he got to the house but it was "annoying" that Ms Jones had persistently contacted him about why he was late in arriving there.
The court heard that in one of their exchanges he told her she was sending him "petty triggering text messages" and that "you do not deserve this much of my time or energy, I'm only here for the kids".
Mills said that voices were raised at the house as a row over money broke out between the musician, his ex-fiancee and Ms Kirk.
He said he went into the kitchen and asked Ms Kirk "why she had let Cassie use my kids as weapon against me".
Mills said of Ms Jones that "she was shouting at me" before adding "we were all shouting, it was very loud".
Claiming that she hit him with a mobile phone, he said: "She was hitting out at me. She hit me a few times and she scratched me. She hit me with the phone."
He added: "I took it off her. She was hitting me and hit me again."
In a prepared statement given to police after Mills had been arrested, he said he was left with scratches to his left arm from the attack and this had been documented by a nurse, the court heard.
Mills described himself as "calm and relaxed" when police arrived but the court heard he told them "I am the aggressor".
Asked by his defence lawyer Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC about why he made that comment, Mills replied: "I was just making light and making banter."
In April 2022, Mills was given a community order, including a 24-week curfew and 12-month restraining order banning him from contacting his former partner, as well as being ordered to pay £2,190 in costs and a £95 surcharge.
These penalties have not been changed and the restraining order is due to expire in April.
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Mills was also ordered to pay £620 costs for the appeal.
Mills, who released his debut album Boy In Da Corner, in 2003, was made an MBE for services to music in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2020.
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 - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.