Kasabian have released a statement after their former singer Tom Meighan pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex fiancée.
Meighan appeared at Leicester Magistrates' Court yesterday and was handed an 18-month community order and told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after he admitted assaulting Vikki Ager on April 9.
The court heard that Ager hit her head on a hamster cage after Meighan, smelling "heavily of intoxicants," threw her across the room, with prosecutor Naeem Valli saying that Ager was left with bruises and a “reddening around her neck” as a result of the “sustained assault.”
The court was also told that a child witnessed the attack and contacted police saying that a "domestic incident was taking place."
Meighan’s departure from the band was announced earlier this week due to “personal issues that have affected his behaviour for quite some time.”
Now, with the legal proceedings concluded, Kasabian have issued a statement saying they had no choice but to part ways with Meighan.
The statement reads: “No one in the band wanted this to happen. We have all worked so hard for the past 23 years and had big plans for our future together. We’re completely heartbroken.
“But we were left with no choice but to ask Tom to leave the band. There is absolutely no way we can condone his assault conviction. Domestic violence and abuse of any kind is totally unacceptable.
“As soon as we found out about the charges made against Tom, we as a band made the decision that we could no longer work with him. Unfortunately we had to hold back this information until he was found guilty in court.
“We 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.
“Ultimately, as much as Tom has hurt us all, we’re not the victim in all of this. Domestic violence is something that can never be excused.”
Along with the community order and 200 hours of unpaid work, Meighan will have to complete five days of rehabilitation.
Anyone looking for help or support, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is open year-round, 24 hours a day. Visit the website or call 0808 2000 247.
