N-Dubz' Dappy launched 'unprovoked attack', court hears
Former N-Dubz singer Dappy has gone on trial accused of assaulting a man at a nightclub.
The 27-year-old, who appeared in court under his real name, Costadinos Contostavlos, is alleged to have attacked Devonn Reid at the Evissa club in Reading on October 6 last year.
Reading Magistrates’ Court heard that the star punched Mr Reid during a fight on the dance floor.
Prosecution told the court that Mr Reid had been to his sister's house during the evening before the incident and went to the nightclub with a group of around 15 friends to celebrate his 21st birthday.
She told the court: “He becomes aware of a male who, he says, he recognised to be a person called Dappy from a music group.
“He says that, because a male is having a conversation with his female friend, he intervenes and advises the defendant his actions are not appropriate.
“He says he is punched out of nowhere once in the face, causing bleeding to stem out of his nose.”
She added: “It was a completely unprovoked attack.”
The court heard that the fight broke out because Contostavlos began chatting to Mr Reid’s female friend and girlfriend at the club’s bar, and that the singer punched him after Mr Reid told him not to talk to them.
Describing the lead-up to the incident, Mr Reid said he and his friends were on the dancefloor when Contostavlos approached them and asked them if they had a problem before offering them a drink.
Later Mr Reid said he saw his friend, Marie O’Reilly, and his girlfriend, Sidney Webb, chatting with Contostavlos at the bar, and that the singer had his arm around Ms O’Reilly.
He said: “I thought it was in a flirtatious way and I said to Marie ’Why are you talking with him?’
“Dappy said to me ’What, don’t you want me talking to them?’
“He said ’Why don’t you want me talking to them?’, and I pointed to Marie and said ’Don’t talk to none of them’.
“He said something and I said ’What?’, and I turned to look at him and that is when he hit me straight on the nose.”
Mr Reid added: “He had just turned and hit me straight with his right hand.
“After that we just gone. Bouncers came and grabbed him, I have gone to the toilet to clean myself up. He had popped my nose.”
After returning upstairs, Mr Reid was thrown out of the nightclub before being arrested when he became aggressive to bouncers and door staff. He was later released without charge.
