Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has issued a public apology after he was convicted of assaulting his ex-fiancée.
The singer pleaded guilty to assaulting Vikki Ager in April at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
In court, it was heard how Ms Ager suffered bruising to her knees, left elbow, outer ankle and big toe as well as a reddening around the neck, which she confirmed to officers was as a result of the assault.
Prosecutor Naeem Valli told the court the offence “could be argued to be relatively serious”, describing it as a “sustained assault”.
In a statement on Twitter, Meighan has now said: “I would like to make a statement about recent events and publicly apologise to my partner Vikki, my band-mates, my friends, family and fans.
“I am very sorry and deeply regret my recent behaviour. In no way am I trying to condone my actions or make excuses. I am completely to blame and accept all responsibility.”
The musician said he had “struggled for many years with alcohol addiction” and claimed the assault was “a wake-up call for me, for who I was, and what I was becoming”.
He continued: “I was spiralling out of control. My mental health was becoming more and more unstable and I was at breaking point.
“I booked myself into a rehabilitation programme for alcoholism. It’s been well documented I’ve undergone treatment before, but in truth I’ve never actually been completely sober.
“This time has been different. I left the programme 3 weeks ago and with the support of my family and friends, I’ve been taking every day as it comes, getting through each day completely clean and sober.
“This time I actually really want to do it, not just for those I care about, but also for myself.”
Meighan said he had recently been diagnosed with ADHD, which had helped him “understand more about my behavioural issues”.
He also said he and Ms Ager were “very much in love and we are looking forward to rebuilding our life together”.
Kasabian announced they had parted ways with Meighan on Monday, with the band citing his “personal issues” as the reason at the time.
Following his conviction, the band – made up of guitarist Serge Pizzorno and bassist Chris Edwards and drummer Ian Matthews – publicly condemned his “totally unacceptable” behaviour and suggested his statement released by him on Monday ahead of the trial misled fans.
They said they were “led to believe that Tom would hold his hands up and in his statement tell everyone what he’d done but he chose not to, misleading a lot of fans”.
Meighan responded, saying he had only sought to assure fans and acquaintances that he was in a “good place” mentally.
He added: “At which point, I wasn’t able to acknowledge the pending case. I would never knowingly mislead fans and appreciate them greatly.”
Domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid criticised the sentence of 200 hours of unpaid work Meighan received following his conviction, calling it “inappropriate”.
Acting chief executive Nicki Norman told the Guardian: “Robust sentencing is important for ensuring abusers are brought to justice and for improving survivors’ confidence in the criminal justice system – which far too often they tell us fails to protect them.”
If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact:
- The Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Refuge: 0808 2000 247
- In Scotland, contact Scotland’s 24 hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 027 1234
- In Northern Ireland, contact the 24 hour Domestic & Sexual Violence Helpline: 0808 802 1414
- In Wales, contact the 24 hour Life Fear Free Helpline on 0808 80 10 800.
- National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 999 5428
- Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327
- Respect helpline (for anyone worried about their own behaviour): 0808 802 0321