Rapper Dizzee Rascal smashed a photographer's camera after being found guilty of assaulting his former partner. The grime artist, whose real name is Dylan Kwabena Mills, has denied assaulting Cassandra Jones at a residential property in June last year.
But as the rapper left Wimbledon Magistrates' Court, he snatched the camera of a photographer who was trying to take his photo and threw it across the street, smashing the gadget into pieces.
Jones' lawyers said that the rapper threw his former partner to the ground and pressed his head against hers amid the argument, a charge Mr Mills has denied.
The argument took place over the delay in returning home with one of their children. Mr Mills and Ms Jones have two children, they split up in February 2021.
The prosecution alleged that Ms Mills "barged" his way into the property in south London, banged his head on the fridge three times and began "screaming and shouting" at Ms Jones and her mother Dawn Kirk. He also took their cellphones after Ms Jones began filming the incident, the lawyers further claimed.
The court was also told that the rapper told the cops who arrived at the scene “I'm the aggressor” but later gave a prepared statement in a police interview. Mr Mills, 37, even claimed that he was assaulted by Ms Jones.
But the court was convinced that returning home with the child late “he lost his temper”, which led to an argument. The judge then called the incident an unlawful assault and found Mr Mills guilty.
After the verdict, Mr Mills came out of the court and broke the camera of the photographer James Manning. "He was angry, he came straight out of the door, didn't say anything, didn't say anything until the point at which he pushed my camera,” the photographer told the BBC.
"I think he said something like 'get away' or 'get out of my face' or something along those lines," Manning added.
Social media users criticized the rapper's behaviour.
"Dizzee Rascal seriously needs to sort his anger issues out. Think he's proved the verdict was correct," said Twitter user Kevin Edger.
"No need for that, he needs to relax. It's not the cameraman's fault he is earning a living, I hope he has insurance on the camera," said another.
Mr Mills and Ms Jones first met in 2011 and got engaged in 2018. He will be sentenced on April 8.