Entertainment

Justin Bieber Pleads Guilty To Assault, Careless Driving In Paparazzi Stalking Case

Published on: June 4, 2015 at 6:57 PM
By Page Mackinley

Justin Bieber was found guilty of assault and reckless driving by a court today (June 4) in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Bieber appeared via video link from a Los Angeles law office.

Bieber was represented by lawyer Brian Greenspan. The 21-year-old superstar received an “absolute discharge” on the assault conviction — which means he is guilty without the registration of a criminal conviction — and a $750 fine for reckless driving.

Under the plea deal reached by the crown and the defense, the initial charge of dangerous driving was dropped in place of a reduced charge of careless driving .

The case arose from a Labor Day weekend incident that took place on a country highway near Stratford on August 29, 2014. Bieber and then-girlfriend Selena Gomez , who were enjoying a romantic retreat, were riding around on an ATV near to his father’s property.

Ontario Provincial Police previously stated that they arrested Bieber and charged him with dangerous driving and assault after the ATV he drove collided with a minivan. The police said the “Where Are U Now” singer “engaged in a physical altercation” with one of the two photographers inside the minivan.

Photos of Bieber and Selena Gomez taking turns driving an ATV were published by TMZ over that Labor Day weekend.

At the time, Greenspan and another of Bieber’s lawyers, Roy Black (who did not work on the case), said the paparazzi had interrupted the couple’s “peaceful retreat.” Greenspan also told press that Bieber cooperated during the investigation.

Fast forward to Thursday, June 3.

The National Post reports that the court heard Bieber drove a four-wheel all terrain vehicle (ATV) into the minivan that the two paparazzo used to “stake” out the singer at his father’s estate, according to an agreed statement of facts.

Bieber reportedly spotted the photographers parked in a driveway as he approached the driveway of his father’s property. He then drove his ATV into the front right side of the van driven by the paparazzi.

The singer reportedly started swinging at one of the paps, Todd Gillis, 47, who remained in the minivan and said he was able to fend off Bieber.

“Why are you here? You can’t be here, you can’t be doing this. Get out of here and leave me alone,” Bieber yelled, the Post reports the agreed facts statement went on. It was read out by Crown prosecutor Mike Murdoch.

Bieber reportedly swung at the photog and tried to grab his camera through the window of the parked minivan, “realized he wasn’t getting anywhere” as Gillis was a much larger man and “twice his size.” Gillis claimed his shoulder was sore after the assault and that he and photog Sean O’Neill, 32, were “very much upset.”

After the altercation, the paparazzi pleaded guilty to trespassing on Bieber family property and were fined. In court, Greenspan described Bieber’s reaction to the paps stalking him. [Bieber] “was disappointed with the invasion of privacy. It was disturbing to him, obviously, and triggered a response, for which he feels guilty .”

Greenspan added that Bieber still considers Stratford — where he grew up — as his home and sees it as a sanctuary from his high-profile life and a “ravenous celebrity media.”

Entertainment Weekly reports Greenspan told EW that when Bieber spotted the paparazzi, “All the sudden there were cameras and he reacted badly to it and he acknowledged what he did.”

The Guardian reports, Greenspan said the absolute discharge for the assault “recognised the fact that it was an incident that was somewhat provoked and that it lasted less than a minute”.

Greenspan added that, “The assault was described even by the photographer as a couple of slaps – certainly three at the most – that he deflected with his shoulder.”

CTV News reports Bieber had simply been reacting to a “very, very upsetting situation.”

The National Post’s Joseph Brean, who was in court on Thursday, tweeted updates. Other press were also present.

According to Brean, Bieber was seen on the video screen in court “standing politely with his hands folded wearing [a] white dress shirt, in front of two dreary paintings.”

Both Brean and Stratford’s Beacon Herald report Bieber’s plea deal was reached by the singer and his legal team and the crown.

Brean added that an assault conviction comes with a general victim surcharge (in simple terms: money, which depends on the sentence and whether at the time of the offence the offender was an adult or a youth under 18 years of age).

In subsequent tweets, Brean said that Bieber replied, “No ma’am” when asked by Judge Kathryn McKerlie if he wished to add a comment.

At the end of case, Judge McKerlie told Bieber, “The lesson in all of this is to think before you act in the future. Everybody in life — no matter who they are — encounters difficult and disappointing and surprising situations.”

Brean’s tweets follow below.

Paparazzi-obtained pics of Bieber and Gomez, which showed Justin gradually becoming aware that they were being stalked by the shutterbugs, revealed his visible frustration and stress at the privacy intrusion.

Justin Bieber
(Photo: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez riding an ATV in Canada in August 2014 during a romantic break)

[Images via PacificCoastNewsOnline]

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