Rod Stewart and his son Sean have pleaded not guilty to battery charges relating to an alleged bust-up with a hotel security guard on New Year’s Eve.
Stewart and his son were charged for allegedly assaulting Jessie Dixon, a member of the security team at The Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, after he reportedly denied them access to a party.
According to DailyMail.com, father and son were not present in court on Tuesday to enter their not guilty plea and waived their right to be present during future court hearings, indicating they plan to stay away from the Florida courtroom unless the judge demands they appear.
Rod, 75, and Sean, 39, have been charged with one count each of simple battery, a misdemeanour offence that could send them to jail for up to one year. The Maggie May hitmaker could also face a lawsuit from Dixon, 33, who is reportedly pursuing a civil case for damages.
The police report from Palm Beach Police Department officers states that Dixon claimed Rod struck him in “the left rib cage area” after Sean shoved him, and that the alleged incident was captured on hotel security cameras. In his defence, Sean told detectives Dixon was “aggressive” during the altercation.
The security guard’s attorney Gawayne Kelly indicated his intention to bring a civil case by telling The Scottish Sun on Sunday: “We are going to come from a civil point of view. There’s a criminal case which we’re not involved in.”
Their next court date is set for 8 February, just days before Rod begins his latest tour in Florida.
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