Bez will spend four weeks in jail after a dramatic outburst at Manchester magistrates court. The former Happy Mondays dancer and tambourine-shaker, who was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, reportedly shouted "Victory is in my grasp!" just as handcuffs were locked around his wrists.
Bez, real name Mark Berry, was convicted on 12 August of assaulting Monica Ward, the mother of his two-year-old son. The chair of the bench conceded that it was a relatively "gentle" attack, but ruled that "a technical assault took place" and ordered sentencing to take place this week.
But Bez would not go quietly. Yesterday, he rejected the sentence – 100 hours of community service and £450 in court costs – announcing, "I'm not doing it". According to the Manchester Evening News, the 46-year-old, who was representing himself, refused to recognise the court's authority. The facts of the case were "totally ignored," he alleged, and the court "did not deliberate or listen to the evidence". "You want to be seen to make an example of me in front of the press and the television media," he said. "I am going to enter an immediate appeal and take this matter to the crown court with a real judge and jury."
This was not well received. Chair Marie Cash declared she had "no choice" and promptly sentenced the Celebrity Big Brother winner to four weeks in jail. At Bez's last-minute request, a solicitor lodged an appeal – but bail was refused, and the appeal will have to proceed in crown court at a future date. "I can't wait to win this next fixture," Bez said on his way to the cells.
