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Amy Winehouse - Source: Reuters -
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British singer Amy Winehouse told a court on Friday that she
pushed a woman after a charity ball last September because she had
been scared of her, but denied punching dancer Sherene Flash in the
face.
Flash has accused the 25-year-old star of punching her in the eye
after she had asked the Grammy winner to pose for a
photograph.
"She (Flash) moved her left arm to lean down to me and tried to
pose next to me," Winehouse told the City of Westminster
Magistrates' Court in London, where she appeared in a grey suit and
wearing her hair in her trademark beehive style.
"Her friend came round in front of us and started taking a
picture," the Press Association quoted her as saying.
"I was like, 'Do I get a choice in this, hello?' I pushed her up,
like away. I wanted her away from me. It was more like an
indication of 'leave me alone, I'm scared of you'.
"I meant to just get her away from me. I was scared. I thought,
people are mad these days, people are just rude and mad, or people
can't handle their drink."
Flash said earlier that Winehouse appeared to be drunk or under
the influence of drugs when the incident occurred.
Flash admitted she had had several alcoholic drinks that evening
but denied being drunk. She said Winehouse "punched forcefully in
my right eye", adding that she was shocked and began to
cry.
Her lawyer added: "This was a deliberate assault by Miss
Winehouse. There was nothing accidental about Miss Winehouse's
actions."
The singer won five Grammy awards in 2008 and her second album Back to Black has won widespread critical acclaim. But her private life, including a battle against drug addiction, has overshadowed her recording success.
In March, Winehouse was unable to get a US work visa to perform at April's Coachella festival in California because of the assault charge.
Earlier this month, she ended her two-year marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil, whose lawyer said his client had sought divorce from the singer on the grounds of adultery.
The case continues.
