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Dizzee Rascal loses appeal against conviction for assaulting ex-fiancee Cassandra Jones-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro
Dizzee Rascal was found guilty last March.
Rapper Dizzee Rascal appeared at a London court on Friday (Picture: PA)
Grime star Dizzee Rascal has lost his appeal against his conviction for assaulting his ex-fiancee Cassandra Jones.
The Bonkers rapper, real name Dylan Mills, was found guilty of assaulting his ex-fiancee during an altercation at a property in Streatham, south London on June 8.
It was alleged that the grime artist, 38, pressed his forehead against Jones’ before pushing her to the ground during a ‘chaotic’ argument.
The court heard at the time that Mills and Jones, who had been together for nine years before their split, argued when Mills dropped off their daughter on the day of the alleged assault.
The Dance Wiv Me musician, who is known for chart-topping singles Bonkers and Dance Wiv Me, sat quietly in the dock at Inner London Crown Court on Friday 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 had ‘used his forehead to push Ms Jones around’ the room.
Rapper Dizzee Rascal was found guilty of assault after a ‘chaotic row at a home in Streatham (Picture: PA)
Ms Jones had 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’.
‘He reached his red mist where he just doesn’t care,’ she said.
Giving evidence, Mills denied the claims and said he was not angry when he arrived at the house and told the court that Ms Jones was ‘hostile’ to him when he got to her home.
Dizzee Rascal was ordered to pay £620 legal costs for the appeal (Picture: Getty Images)
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.
Claiming that she hit him with a mobile telephone, 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.’
The court had previously heard that Ms Jones claimed said he had reduced her ‘allowance’ from £2,000 to £1,800 when she was ‘badly behaved’.
Ms Jones denied the background to the row on the day of the alleged attack was about money.
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.
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These penalties have not been changed and the restraining order is due to expire in April. 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.
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