Cheryl has a pregnant tum...

[MommaGee]

So we can now all stop being inundated with articles about it? At some point she'll appear with a baby and it's bound to be gorgeous and that'll be that, like a million other women. She doesn't need to release a statement. Her tummy said it all

Chicken when you work with legal experts like I used to, police and judges you will be quite aware that certain people either bribe juries, judges etc... And Chezza will have been told to change her words...

I know for a fact that had the attack been racially motivated then her career would have been nigh on over, so whoever was in charge of her PR etc at the time would have pulled strings if need be to ensure she was coached in twisting her words which I think she did do.

I've also been on a jury on jury service, the majority vote counts but if there are a few lone dissenters they often get shouted down.

The toilet attendant certainly agreed she had been racist yet it didn't stick. I can quite clearly see Chezza shouting racial abuse because she could (over a lollipop!) and then backtracking her words pretty damned quickly as she'd have been told the physical abuse of a toilet attendant was bad enough.

Ah Chicken barristers as well, i know a few barristers who are expert at getting people "off" if they can, re their advice. That's why their prices are high and that's why you get specialists - in Chezza's case a media savvy barrister with race abuse cases. Maybe even Constance Bristow (a prominent black barrister now in jail I believe) defended Chezza!

when you work with legal experts like I used to, police and judges you will be quite aware that certain people either bribe juries, judges etc

This is nuts. You do realise this is real life, rather than a John Grisham novel?

I have also served on a jury and was a dissenting voice. I wasn't 'shouted down'; I just disagreed with the others and it was all rather respectful and undramatic. The verdict was reported as a majority - which it was - rather than unanimous.

Assaulting a toilet attendant is a pretty unusual thing to do, and not exactly a normal youthful mistake or misadventure. Just like Liam is an adult now apparently making his own choices, so Cheryl was an adult 13 years ago when Liam was ten and she was punching someone over a lollipop. As far as I remember she pleaded not guilty.

Also the way in which both 1D and Chez manipulate the media, including social media, is quite remarkable and as such it is not surprising that directioners see conspiracies everywhere, given that they are drip fed total bullshit all the time!

I don't think it was unusual at all. The only difference was that a 'celeb' was responsible and therefore the case gained plenty of media attention. I spent years working in hospitality and licensed trade; assaults on the staff - male and female - were and are still fairly common place. Don't assume that because you don't hear about it in the press that it doesn't happen.

PaulDacres I'm only telling you what I know... Basically she will have had the best legal advice and wasn't she part of Simon Cowell's stable of bands then?

I know media lawyers and PR people, why did Kate Moss manage to hide her coke embarrassment?! Etc etc

Assaults on staff are fairly common yes in bars with members but when involve a pop star and involve a particularly nasty attack with racially aggravated words on a member of staff who as I understand is actually self employed in the club then it was her decision to press charges and she lost work due to the attack. The media attention came on the back of that, public figures who court publicity like Chezza deserve good and bad publicity in my book and chezza didn't lose work! She pleaded not guilty which is even worse...

In fact you do hear reports of bouncers or staff being convicted of assault in bars and clubs these days especially if it's a particularly nasty attack.

It's just a rubbish story to fill up crappy newspapers and magazines.
I read somewhere that it's been a hot topic on GMTV for some odd reason.
I can't think of anyone who is interested about when / if she will announce it or not. It's just crappy lazy journalism - like these endless stories on the Kardashians and that American singer woman.
Taylor Swift is it? I've never even heard one of her bloody records!

Of course she'll have had good legal advice - that doesn't make her better or worse than anyone else. In respect of Kate Moss, there was a photo of her chopping out a line all over the front page of a national tabloid, so it didn't stay hidden.

BTW she was cleared of the racially aggravated charge and found not guilty in respect of that element.

And yes, I do read and watch the news so appreciate that some assaults are reported in the media - but not all of them are. There will be staff working this weekend in the licensed trade who will get punched, slapped or worse, and the overwhelming majority of those incidents won't even make the local news - let alone a national paper.

PaulDacres yes but what I mean re Kate Moss is she wasn't convicted of eg using cocaine (forget exact terminoligy) I only recall that when that story broke my brother who's a photographer and his photographer mates were expecting her to lose a lot of work, one expected police intervention etc but nothing.... Yet Chezza was convicted of an assault but cleared of racist abuse... I don't think Chezza is better or worse than anyone else but my ex boss

The vast majority of attacks on bar etc staff don't warrant general media (local maybe) attention unless they're particularly violent or prominent enough... Or involve particular places - London Zoo had an amusing but silly attack between two female zookeepers and their male love interest. Take that up with your MP or mayor, police dept etc if you're concerned about them.

Thanks for the instructions SuperFly - I'll add it to my to-do list, shall I? Of course one could take the view that my local MP may have more to worry about than what the local paper decides to report.

This thread is hilarious tbh- it's got everything

It's fucking batshit! Conspiracy theories at the ready. Even if woman is having baby and did bribe a judge (WTF, really?) I find myself more concerned about the fact that my Chinese takeaway is still not here and I am ravenous.

Anyhoo...

Superflyhigh I think with Kate Moss - she has always had a rock n roll image. If she's been a kids tv presenter it would have been different but the controversy just added to the enigma.

Peach Kate moss though my brother and his photographer mates thought she'd end up dead round the time of the coke and Pete Doherty incident. Still...

PaulDacres you were the one going on about bar staff being attacked! Hope you enjoyed your curry I was chilling eating an early Christmas dinner! Plus champagne etc!

Simply to illustrate the fact that bar staff being attacked is not a new thing. The only 'noteworthy' thing about this occasion is that it was a celebrity involved - and that's why it attracted media attention. Had it been an ordinary Geordie girl I doubt it would have made the local paper.

Hope you enjoyed your champagne.

Much as I hate Cheryl, she clearly wasn't guilty of the racial element. The toilet attendant didn't mention it in any of her initial interviews and only mentioned it to anybody much later after newspapers had become involved and money had changed hands.

There was very clear independent evidence from disinterested parties confirming the assault. But none of those other parties confirmed the racial element despite witnessing the attack at close quarters.

Incidentally Cheryl's only witness was Nicola Roberts who lied through her teeth on the stand that the attendant had attacked Cheryl who was merely defending herself. Doesn't often get mentioned that.