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Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan issues apology for attacking girlfriend

Written by on 09/07/2020

Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has apologised for attacking his girlfriend and said he has struggled with alcohol addiction “for many years”.

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The singer said the assault on 9 April was a “wake-up call” and he has been sober for three weeks.

The 39-year-old appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to assaulting Vikki Ager.

Meighan said in a statement posted on Twitter on Wednesday that he and Ms Ager were “very much in love and we are looking forward to rebuilding our life together with the support of those close to us”.

The musician, from Narborough, Leicestershire, went on to describe the incident as “an isolated one” and “out of character”.

He wrote in the post: “I would like to make a statement about recent events and publicly apologise to my partner Vikki, my bandmates, my friends, family and fans.

“I am very sorry and deeply regret my recent behaviour. In no way am I trying to condone my actions or make excuses. I am completely to blame and accept all responsibility.”

Meighan said he had “struggled for many years with alcohol addiction” and described the assault as “a wake-up call for me, for who I was, and what I was becoming”.

He added: “I was spiralling out of control. My mental health was becoming more and more unstable and I was at breaking point.

“I booked myself into a rehabilitation programme for alcoholism. It’s been well documented I’ve undergone treatment before, but in truth I’ve never actually been completely sober.

“This time has been different. I left the programme 3 weeks ago and with the support of my family and friends, I’ve been taking every day as it comes, getting through each day completely clean and sober.

“This time I actually really want to do it, not just for those I care about, but also for myself.”

Meighan said he had recently been diagnosed with ADHD which had helped him “understand more about my behavioural issues”.

The singer quit Kasabian, the band he helped form in 1997, citing “personal issues” on Monday.

Meighan’s former bandmates later publicly condemned his “totally unacceptable” behaviour and suggested a statement released by him ahead of his court hearing misled fans.

They said they were “led to believe that Tom would hold his hands up and in his statement tell everyone what he’d done but he chose not to, misleading a lot of fans”.

Meighan responded, saying he had only sought to assure fans and acquaintances that he was in a “good place” mentally.

He added: “At which point, I wasn’t able to acknowledge the pending case. I would never knowingly mislead fans and appreciate them greatly.”

Meighan’s departure leaves guitarist Serge Pizzorno and bassist Chris Edwards as the only remaining founding members, with current drummer Ian Matthews joining the group several years after they founded.

Kasabian broke through with their 2004 self-titled album.

They later released Empire in 2006 and West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum in 2009.

(c) Sky News 2020: Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan issues apology for attacking girlfriend