Boy George Too Fat For Beating

12/04/08 12:46pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Boy George is too fat to have attacked male escort Audun Carlsen, the former Culture Club frontman's lawyer said on Wednesday, a day before the jury was to consider its verdict.

George — who's being tried under his real name, George O'Dowd — is accused of handcuffing Carlsen to a wall hook and beating him with a chain in April 2007. But did O'Dowd attack him? Fat chance, says his lawyer, Adrian Waterman.

"With the greatest of respect to George O'Dowd, he is not someone you could describe as terribly fit," Waterman said. "He has put on a few pounds since the '80s. He is not going to be a match for Audun Carlsen."

O'Dowd told police that Carlsen had hacked into his computer and stolen pornographic pictures of the singer that the two had taken earlier at O'Dowd's home. O'Dowd says he thought Carlsen had then posted them on the internet.

Earlier this week, the court heard a police interview in which O'Dowd told police he handcuffed Carlsen so the escort couldn't go anywhere while O'Dowd checked his computer.

"There has never been any doubt that George O'Dowd did handcuff Audun Carlsen to that eyehole," Waterman said on Wednesday. "He did imprison him, he detained him. The issue in the case is whether in law he has a lawful excuse."

The doctor who examined Carlsen after he escaped from O'Dowd's flat said Carlsen's injuries were probably sustained during the aforementioned photo shoot. O'Dowd previously said Carlsen's injuries were consensual.

O'Dowd has pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment.

On an unrelated note, we'd like you to take a look at this clip from Dune: