Tom Meighan: Kasabian singer 'sorry' for assaulting partner

Image copyright Jacob King/PA Wire Image caption Tom Meighan apologised to his "partner, band-mates, friends, family and fans" on Twitter

Former Kasabian singer Tom Meighan has publically apologised for assaulting his partner.

The musician was sentenced at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday for attacking Vikki Ager while drunk.

Magistrates heard she was struck on the head, threatened with a wooden pallet and dragged across a room before a child witness called 999.

The Zinthiya Trust, a Leicester-based domestic abuse charity, said there can be "no excuses" for what Meighan did.

Meighan, 39, said the attack in April was a "a wake-up call for me, for who I was, and what I was becoming".

The musician said on Twitter: "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."

Meighan was given an 18-month community order, told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, ordered to complete five days of rehabilitation, and told to pay a £90 victim surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.

He said he had "struggled for many years with alcohol addiction".

"I was spiralling out of control. My mental health was becoming more and more unstable and I was at breaking point," he said.

"I booked myself into a rehabilitation programme for alcoholism.

"I left the programme three 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."

Image copyright PA Media Image caption Meighan, pictured in 2018 at the Isle of Wight Festival, had been in the band for 23 years

Meighan, of Narborough, 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 with the support of those close to us" and described the incident as "an isolated one" and "out of character".

On Monday, Kasabian announced Meighan was leaving the band in order to deal with "personal issues".

In a statement after the hearing, the group said: "Domestic violence is something that can never be excused."

Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan, founder of the Zinthiya Trust, has been helping victims of domestic abuse in Leicester for more than a decade.

She said: "I understand there are various trigger points for abuse, such as alcohol mental or health problems. They are not excuses - everyone should feel safe in their own homes."

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