Prosecutors said Friday that British rock star Rod Stewart and his son Sean have pleaded guilty to “minor punching” a guard at a Florida hotel on New Year’s Day 2019. However, neither of them was officially sentenced.
The 76-year-old singer was denied entry to a children’s party at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach with his family.
Rod Stewart, best known for his hits “Maggie May” and “You Where It Will”, was accused of hitting a party guard in the rib cage when he refused to accept his son’s opposition.
The former “Vice” singer, known for his gruff voice and blonde hair, was on trial for “small battery”, a misdemeanor that is usually punishable by a fine.
But after the singer and his son pleaded guilty, the judge decided not to impose any punishment on them, meaning they had no formal punishment, while avoiding lengthy and costly court proceedings.
“No one was harmed in the incident and the jury did not find Sir Rod Stewart guilty,” the star’s lawyer, Guy Franstein, told AFP.
He said the singer pleaded guilty to avoiding a “disturbing and unnecessary” public hearing.
Jesse Dixon, a victim of the “attack”, did not oppose the settlement, the attorney general’s spokeswoman told AFP.
Rod Stewart, who has released more than thirty albums, was crowned “Sir” in 2016 by Queen Elizabeth II. In late 2019, he revealed that he had successfully fought prostate cancer. His son, Sean, 41, is known for his addiction and problems. In 2002, he was arrested for assaulting a man in front of a Malibu restaurant during a fight that was interrupted by the intervention of Dean Kane, who starred as Superman in the TV series “Louis & Clark”. He was stopped again in 2015 while spinning on a package belt in an area closed to the public at Miami Airport.
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