Jeremy Clarkson: ‘Top Gear’ Producer Not Pressing Charges, Police Still Investigating

Jeremy Clarkson will probably not face criminal charges after splitting producer Oisin Tymon’s lip during a March 4 altercation. According to CNN, Tymon does not want to press charges against Jeremy Clarkson.

Clarkson, the now-former Top Gear presenter, could be charged anyway, depending on the outcome of independent police investigations.

The North Yorkshire Police Department and a lawyer for Tymon released separate statements March 27 regarding the incident. Both statements confirmed that Tymon, a senior BBC producer, does not want police to press charges against Clarkson.

In their statement, the North Yorkshire Police thanked Tymon for “clarifying his position,” but said they would continue investigating the matter.

The following is according to the police statement.

“We have some final interviews to complete with guests who witnessed the incident as their perspectives also need to be considered.”

In his statement, issued via lawyer Paul Daniels, Tymon said the altercation between him and Clarkson was “extremely unpleasant,” and it had “taken a great toll” on him and his family.

Clarkson apologized to Tymon multiple times, according to the Daily Mail. Three days after the incident, Clarkson said while he and the staff were leaving the hotel, “it’s been pleasant, apart from the obvious,” apparently believing he’d been fired.

Tymon said he just wants to move on, and that he believes that the BBC has already properly addressed the issue.

Tymon is referring to the BBC firing Clarkson – an announcement made by the BBC on March 25.

The news that the BBC severed its ties with Clarkson came via a statement from BBC Director General Tony Hall on Wednesday. Hall said he reached the decision after reviewing the results of an investigation into Clarkson’s actions, conducted by Ken MacQuarrie, into the altercation.

According to CNN, an investigation began March 10 – the same day the BBC suspended Clarkson for the “fracas” with Tymon. The suspension came only after Clarkson took it upon himself to report to the network that he had hit Tymon.

Clarkson allegedly had a “temper tantrum” after a long day of filming Top Gear on location. According to the Daily Mail, the Simonstone Hall Hotel offered him a “plate of cold cuts rather than a hot steak.”

According to internal BBC documents summarizing the investigation, MacQuarrie found that the “physical and verbal incident” was entirely unprovoked. A witness stopped Clarkson from assaulting Tymon, but not before Tymon suffered “swelling and bleeding of his lip,” for which he obtained emergency medical care.

Tymon also reportedly suffered from verbal abuse from Clarkson well after the physical incident, according to the documents.

Despite Tymon not wanting to press charges, the police “believe an offense might have been committed,” so they will continue investigating, according to a March 26 statement. Police investigate independently, and have the option to press charges even without the cooperation of a complainant — in this case, Tymon’s cooperation.

With Top Gear being one of the most watched factual programs in the world — a program with an 18-year-long waiting list to get into the audience, according to Clarkson via the Guardian — the BBC is looking for a way to air the final episodes of the current Top Gear season, while looking for how to move forward with Top Gear 2016.

Do you think Clarkson would have been fired had he not told on himself to BBC management about the incident?

[Photo Credit: Last Ever Top Gear screen grab]