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Winehouse faces fan assault trial Winehouse 'hit dancer over photo'
(about 2 hours later)
Singer Amy Winehouse has arrived at court to face trial for an alleged assault on a fan at a charity ball. Singer Amy Winehouse reacted with "unjustifiable violence" when a dancer asked her for a photograph at a charity ball, a court has been told.
At an earlier hearing, the 25-year-old pleaded not guilty after being accused of attacking Sherene Flash in Berkeley Square, central London, last September. The 25-year-old singer is alleged to have punched Sherene Flash at the summer ball in Berkeley Square, central London, last September.
Winehouse, who performed at the ball before she is alleged to have assaulted Ms Flash, gave her name as Amy Jade Civil at the March hearing. The court heard Miss Winehouse hit Miss Flash when a drunken friend of the dancer tried to get into the photo.
The hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court is expected to last two days. Miss Winehouse had pleaded not guilty to assault at an earlier hearing.
Prosecutor Lyall Thompson told Westminster Magistrates' Court the singer appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or "some other substance" when she carried out he alleged attack.
The court heard the incident happened in a dressing room at the event shortly after midnight on 26 September.
Mr Thompson said Miss Flash asked "politely" for a photograph of Winehouse.
'Drunken stranger'
The court heard the star appeared reluctant at first but then agreed.
But Miss Flash was with a drunken friend called Kieran Connelly and as he tried to get into the photo, which Miss Flash was taking, Miss Winehouse punched Miss Flash to her right eye, the court heard.
She reacted badly to a polite request Prosecutor Lyall Thompson
Mr Thompson said: "It may be that it was that that annoyed Miss Winehouse.
"Miss Winehouse may have felt she had generously agreed to be photographed on her own and not with a drunken stranger."
But he said: "This was a deliberate assault by Miss Winehouse. She reacted badly to a polite request."
Mr Thompson said that when Miss Winehouse was arrested and questioned on 5 March, she said she told Miss Flash she wanted to say goodbye to someone else first, but Miss Flash put her arm around her and told her the other person "could wait".
He said: "Miss Winehouse admitted she was offended and claimed to feel intimidated."
But he said she told police her only physical reaction was to push Miss Flash away with her forearm.
The case continues.
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