Dizzee Rascal given community order and avoids jail after attacking his ex-fiancée during row

Rapper Dizzee Rascal has today avoided jail after attacking his ex-fiancee during a ‘chaotic’ row over money and contact with their children.

The grime artist whose real name is Dylan Mills, was found guilty of attacking Cassandra Jones after a trial in March.

A judge concluded he had been ‘abusive and aggressive’ towards Ms Jones during the incident in June last year.

But the 37-year-old musician, who was seen arriving at Croydon Magistrates’ Court dressed in a green bomber jacket, black jeans, trainers and a red hat, today avoided a prison sentence.

He was instead slapped a 12-month restraining order banning him from contacting his former partner, along with an electronic tag and a 24 week curfew.

District Judge Polly Gledhill slammed the ‘disappointing’ recommendation in pre-sentence calling for Mills to be fined.

Sentencing Mills, the judge said: ‘You showed no remorse for this matter.

‘Further, as demonstrated in your report given to the probation officer you continued to place the blame on Ms Jones, the victim in this case.’

During the trial, Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court heard how Mills exploded with anger after dropping their daughter off at Ms Jones’ home in Streatham, south London, on June 8 last year.

He had been late arriving at the after getting stuck in traffic and told Wimbledon Magistrates Court she was calling and texting him while he was driving, asking whether they would be back by 5pm in time for a chicken dinner.

Mills sent her foul replies, which included ‘shut up, don’t give me no lip’ and ‘shut your f****** mouth’.  

When he arrived he ‘barged’ his way into the property, banged his head on a fridge three times while holding his son and began ‘screaming and shouting’ at Ms Jones and her mother Dawn Kirk. 

The court heard he pressed his forehead against hers before pushing her to the ground during the incident. 

The musician, behind chart-topping singles Bonkers and Dance Wiv Me, was ‘frustrated’ over custody arrangements and the pair had an argument when he dropped off their daughter at the property, the court heard.

Mills, who had two children with Ms Jones before they split up in February 2021, was said to have ‘barged’ into the home, banged his head on a fridge three times while holding his son and began ‘screaming and shouting’ at Ms Jones and her mother Dawn Kirk.

The court heard how Ms Jones began filming him but he took her phone from her and then took Ms Kirk’s phone. 

The shouting became so loud that it alerted two neighbours and police were called, a judge was told.

The court heard how when they arrived, Mills told officers ‘I’m the aggressor’, but later gave a prepared statement in a police interview, denying the allegations and claimed he had been assaulted by Ms Jones.

In her victim impact statement Ms Jones said the incident had ‘rocked her to her core’ and she was on anxiety medication for her panic attack.

The judge noted Mills’ charity work and previous good character, but added that an aspect of domestic abuse is the abuser’s ability to maintain a ‘public and private face’.

Judge Gledhill said she believed he could have benefited from help in ‘controlling his anger’ and ‘addressing his thinking process’ after the disturbing footage she saw of the attack. 

Following the guilty verdict, Mills smashed a photographer’s camera outside court after knocking it from their hands and hurling it across the road. Police initially said they were investigating but no charges were brought.

Referring to his encounter with a photographer after his conviction, she referred to the musician’s ‘reaction to me on being convicted, and the angry behaviour you demonstrated after the case was concluded.’ 

Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC, mitigating, told the court that a pre-sentence report showed that there was a low risk of reoffending.

‘His concern and his only concern was that his children are thriving. He had focused on raising his children and all he wanted was to have a happy family.

‘As you know, this incident was short-lived and by the time police had been called Mr Mills proceeded outside the address where he was calm and cooperative at all stages,’ said Ms Bennett-Jenkins.

‘The probation officer concluded that Mr Mills presents as a sensitive, engaged and otherwise law abiding young man, and we would echo these remarks.’

The court heard that the musician, who has no previous convictions, had undertaken ‘considerable charity work’ supporting young people in urban communities.

His barrister said that a report from a social worker showed that ‘attentive’ father who provided ‘warmth, affection and comfort’ to his children.

Ms Bennett-Jenkis urged the judge to impose a fine rather than a community order, adding: ‘There are of course some difficulties with that given Mr Mills’ occupation.

‘He has work difficult to schedule.’ 

The judge issued a one-year restraining order preventing him from contacting Ms Jones save for court proceedings and other official meetings or through his solicitors for childcare arrangements.

She also ordered Mills to pay £2,190 in costs.

Mills released his debut album, Boy In Da Corner, in 2003.

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 in 2020, and performed at festivals in August including Live At Lydiard in Swindon and Boardmasters in Cornwall.