Furious Dizzee Rascal smashes camera after guilty verdict in assault case

An ITV News camera caught the moment Dizzee Rascal lashed out at a photographer outside court


A furious Dizzee Rascal grabbed a photographer's camera and threw it across the street after being found guilty of assaulting his ex-fiancee.

The rapper knocked the camera to the ground and then hurled it into the road as he emerged from Wimbledon Magistrates' Court.

PA news agency photographer James Manning said: “He came out of the court, I was taking his picture, just standing still on the corner.

“He then pushed my camera into my face, which then caused it to fall to the floor, at which point he then picked it up and then threw it across the road.

“It smashed into a lot of pieces.

“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.

“I think he said something like ‘get away’ or ‘get out of my face’ or something along those lines.

“After that he just walked off and I didn’t chase after him or anything like that.”

The camera's screen was smashed after it was thrown by Dizzee Rascal

In court, the grime artist, whose real name is Dylan Mills, had denied pressing his forehead against Cassandra Jones' forehead and pushing her to the ground during a "chaotic" row at a property in Streatham, south London, in June 8 last year.

The 37-year-old behind chart-topping singles Bonkers and Dance Wiv Me had two children with Ms Jones before they split in February 2021.

The court heard that Mills and Ms Jones, who had been together for nine years before their split, argued when Mills dropped off their daughter on the day of the alleged assault.

The prosecution alleged that Mills "barged" his way into the property with his son under his arms before "screaming and shouting" and banging his head on the fridge three times.

Grime artist Dizzee Rascal, real name Dylan Kwabena Mills, at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court

Mills is said to have approached Ms Jones, "put his forehead against hers and pushed her around the room" and then "pushed her to the ground", the court heard.

The musician was arrested at the scene and gave a prepared statement during police interview in which he denied the allegations and accused Ms Jones of causing injuries to his arm.

Mills released his debut album, Boy In Da Corner, in 2003, and his seventh studio album, E3 AF, which refers to his east London postcode and African heritage, is due out on October 30.

He was made an MBE for services to music in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2020, and performed at festivals in August including Live at Lydiard in Swindon and Boardmasters in Cornwall.