Toronto police charge Bieber with assault

Toronto police have formally charged Justin Bieber with the assault of a limousine driver who was ferrying the pop star and his entourage in December.

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber (AAP)

Toronto police have charged Canadian pop star Justin Bieber with the December assault of a limousine driver.

The 19-year-old is scheduled to appear in court on March 10, police said in a statement that came out shortly after Bieber had turned himself in.

Bieber's lawyer, California-based lawyer Howard Weitzman, said he expects the singer's assault case to be treated as a low-level offence and says his client is innocent.

Weitzman declined to comment on the allegations his client faces or any potential defence, saying it was now a matter for the court to handle.

The lawyer said in a statement that Bieber's legal team expects the case to be treated as a summary offence, which is the equivalent of a misdemeanour in the United States.

Toronto police had been investigating Bieber and his entourage over the assault of a limo driver in late December.

Bieber arrived on Wednesday evening at a police station to a crush of media and screaming fans, after emerging from a black SUV wearing a winter coat and a backwards baseball cap.

Toronto police said in late December they were looking into allegations that a member of Bieber's entourage assaulted a limo driver who was ferrying the Canadian pop star and several others. Police said at the time it was unclear whether Bieber was involved.

The allegations are the latest problems for the 19-year-old singer, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of DUI, resisting arrest and driving with an expired licence in Florida.

Court records show that Bieber's lawyer filed the written plea on Wednesday in Miami-Dade County.

Bieber already has an arraignment set for February 14, but Florida law doesn't require the star to be present.

His home in Los Angeles has also been searched in connection with an alleged egging of his neighbour's home.

Also on Wednesday, the White House was asked to weigh in on Bieber's bad behaviour after it received a petition with more than 100,000 signatures calling for the Canadian-born signer to be deported.


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Published 30 January 2014 11:59am
Updated 30 January 2014 9:58pm
Source: AAP


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