Dizzee Rascal discovered responsible of assaulting his ex-girlfriend after custody battle

Dizzee Rascal has been found guilty of assaulting his ex-fiancé and mother of his two children after a custody dispute.

The musician took the stand to deny assaulting his ex-fiancée Cassandra Jones today, while the court also heard from his friend and world champion boxer David Haye, who called Dizzee a “model father”.

However, District Judge Polly Gledhill found the 37-year-old rapper to be “evasive” and “aggressive” in testifying and not a credible witness.

The musician had pleaded not guilty in connection with an incident at a home in Streatham, south London on June 8.

Dizzee Rascal arrives for his trial in court at Wimbledon Magistrates’ today
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The trial before Wimbledon Magistrates was heard in part in February, where it was said Dizzee “laid his forehead against Miss Jones” and “thrust her around” the room while he held their young son, in a dispute over the custody arrangements that there was heard from neighbors, Helen Duong, charge, said.

Presenting evidence last month, Miss Jones described a chaotic scene in which the rapper yelled at Ms Jones’ mother, whose home they were at.

“I was scared for my babies,” she said, recounting how Dizzee banged his head against the fridge while holding her son, who was only wearing a diaper.

Dizzee Rascal is a well-known musician
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Dizzee Rascal was found guilty today of assaulting his ex-girlfriend
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“He started banging his forehead on my mother’s fridge. Bang, bang, bang, about three times,” she said.

Speaking of Miss Jones, District Judge Gledhill said: “She said, ‘I’m here to speak my truth,’ and I believe she did.”

Throughout the case, Dizzee’s legal team argued that Miss Jones’ portrayal was inconsistent and attempted to undermine her portrayal.

Rapper Dizzee Rascal arrives at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court today
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Dizzee Rascal performing at Chelmsford in 2009
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However, District Judge Gledhill said Miss Jones was a “consistent witness” and added that she was satisfied with the prosecutor’s account of the assault, which stemmed from Dizzee’s temper and a dispute over childcare.

Dizzee and wife Jones met in February 2011 and had an on-off relationship, but got engaged in 2018 when Dizzee bought her a Tiffany ring.

They moved into Dizzee’s home in Kent together, with a wedding planned for the summer of 2020 until Dizzee called it off, he told the court.

Boxer David Haye called Dizzee a “model father” in today’s trial.
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Ms Jones worked until she had her first baby, with Dizzee giving Cassandra money, paying her bills and being credited for her lifestyle, which included first-class airline tickets abroad and a holiday home.

The couple split in February 2021 after Dizzee heard Ms Jones gave money to her mother while her other siblings did not, the musician claimed in court today.

Last month, the court was told there had been a dispute after the rapper dropped his daughter off early that evening after spending the day with her.

Dizzee told the court he traveled from Kent to Streatham six times a week and bought new shoes for his daughter that day.

The rapper denied being “angry and upset” when he arrived at the house, instead describing how excited he was to see his baby son, whom Miss Jones had given him to hold.

He said he wanted to speak to Dawn Kirk, Miss Jones’ mother, saying, “I wanted to ask her mother why she keeps allowing her daughter to use my children as a weapon against me.”

He agreed that he and Miss Jones were arguing and their voices were loud.

He described Miss Jones as “jerky and rude” and “yelled in my face.

He said he took Miss Jones and Ms Kirk’s phone because he feared they would use them as weapons, but District Judge Gledhill dismissed that reason.

In a statement to police, Mr Mills claimed Ms Jones attacked him by poking him and scratching his arm.

In court today, he maintained that statement, saying to Ms Duong while pointing to his arm, “She scratched my arm and I have the scratches and bruises there.” However, the judge said this was not supported by evidence, which have been submitted to the court.

Last month, the court heard from neighbor Andy Peach-Gussin, who overheard the argument from his window before it spilled over onto their shared patio.

Mr Peach-Gussin, who himself did not see any violence, said Dizzee had “talked about money” but initially he was “just really upset about not being able to see his children”.

He said the musician “didn’t yell” but was very, very upset.

The argument then escalated, with the rapper saying he was being “fleeced” and they were “taking him out.”

In a statement read in court, Mr Hay said he met Dizzee at a party ten years ago after he won the World Heavy Weight Championship.

He described the rapper as “very easy to get along with” and “never given in to the celebrity side” that was around him.

“On the rare occasion that he’s attended a celebrity event, people have been shocked to see him,” Haye said.

He said he never saw the musician “lose his temper” or show any signs of anger, even when members of the public tried to provoke him.

The court also heard from one of Dizzee’s ex-girlfriends, who said she was “very shocked” to hear about the allegations, adding that it was “not in his character at all” and that she had offered to provide a character reference to submit.

She said he’s always been “very calm and patient,” and she’s never seen him aggressive.

The judge said she was ready to accept that he was a “kind and loyal partner,” but added, “Behaviour in front of friends is of course very different from behavior behind doors,” noting that the ex Miss Jones, who shared children with the rapper, is in a different situation.

District Judge Gledhill also summed up texts the rapper sent to Miss Jones as he was driving his daughter home, where he said, “Shut up” and “Don’t talk to me” when they discussed whether he actually would drop them off too late.

Sallie Bennet-Jenkins, who is defending herself, also spoke about Dizzee’s charity work for the mayor’s fund and supporting “young people in the inner city”.

The court heard that Dizzee made his first recording at the age of 16 and later found commercial success, winning a Mercury Award and a Brit Award.

Dizzee left Island Records in November 2021 and is now an independent artist, the court was told.

He was awarded an MBE by The Queen’s Birthday Honors in 2020 for his services to music.

His debut album received critical acclaim in August 2003 and the hit ‘Fix Up, Look Sharp’ became his first UK Top 20 single.

Dizzee’s third album, Maths + English, was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize, but ended up losing out to the Klaxons’ Myths of the Near Future.

In October 2020, Dizzee released his seventh album, E3 AF, which peaked at number 13 in the UK Albums Chart.

He will be sentenced next month.