Lady Leshurr attacked by dog and ex-partner’s then-girlfriend, court hears

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Rapper Lady Leshurr was attacked by a “security dog” owned by her ex-partner’s then-girlfriend, a court has heard.

The 35-year-old artist, real name Melesha O’Garro, is accused of assaulting her ex-partner Sidnee Hussein and Chante Boyea – Ms Hussein’s partner at the time – in the early hours of October 22 2022, Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London has heard.

O’Garro, from Kingshurst, Birmingham, is on trial alongside Sherelle Smith, 29, from Yardley, Birmingham, who allegedly also assaulted Ms Hussein.

Former Dancing On Ice contestant O’Garro denies two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, while Smith denies one count of the same charge.

Giving evidence from behind a screen on Thursday, Ms Hussein described O’Garro as “angry, drunk (and) out of control” during the altercation in Walthamstow, north London.

She claimed the rapper headbutted her, adding: “She was swinging her head forward, trying to bite me, being aggressive.”

However, the defendants claim they were the ones who were attacked.

Defence lawyer Ronnie Bergenthal has told jurors that security officer Ms Boyea used her Belgian Malinois dog Toby “as a weapon” against O’Garro.

Ms Boyea and Ms Hussein insist Toby remained in the boot of Ms Boyea’s car during the incident, the court has heard.

In cross examination on Thursday, Mr Bergenthal asked: “Ms Hussein, I suggest you have sought to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes in this case, haven’t you?

“You’ve claimed to be a victim when, I suggest, you were a joint party to an aggressive assault, together with Ms Boyea, on Ms O’Garro.”

Ms Hussein said: “I don’t believe I caused her (O’Garro) any injuries.”

Ms Boyea previously told jurors she was driving to work along Knotts Green Road in Walthamstow when O’Garro and Smith flagged her down appearing to need help.

She told the court that O’Garro then started punching her and bit her on the left hand, before she called Ms Hussein for help.

The prosecution case is that Ms Hussein rushed to Ms Boyea’s aid from a nearby house and was unwittingly followed by a pet dog, Kodi, after leaving the door open.

Mr Bergenthal added: “Did you see Ms O’Garro on the ground being attacked by a dog and Ms Boyea? Did you see a dog biting Ms O’Garro?”

Ms Hussein said “no”.

She told him she did not recall O’Garro suffering concussion during the incident.

Mr Bergenthal read an extract of a Snapchat story posted from her account, which Ms Hussein admitted posting soon after the incident.

It read: “I ain’t done… and I know your face hurts lol free concussion for you and your mates.”

Ms Hussein said: “I said it out of anger… I was given concussion (during the altercation) so in my anger I have said the same thing.”

Mr Bergenthal suggested she “saw Ms O’Garro concussed for a moment, found it amusing and posted it on Snapchat”.

Asked what she meant by “your face hurts”, Ms Hussein said: “Because she’s an ugly girl, I’m being honest.”

Judge Caroline English then askes: “So when you said the term ‘her face hurts’ are you referring to her being an ugly person?”

Ms Hussein said “yeah”.

Mr Bergenthal later asked: “Your relationship with Ms O’Garro, you described ending before Covid but the two of you saw each other after 2019, didn’t you?”

Ms Hussein agreed they had met, but when asked if there were “intimate occasions between the two of you post-2019”, she said: “I can’t remember.”

Mr Bergenthal added: “What I’m saying is that after 2019 you had met Ms O’Garro on occasions and the two of you were intimate together.”

Ms Hussein said they had met up but not been intimate.

The witness said earlier she had run to help Ms Boyea after receiving a “panicked” call from her saying, “your ex is outside”.

Ms Hussein claims Smith “charged at me” when she arrived at the scene and they both went to the ground before O’Garro allegedly attacked her when she got to her feet.

But Ryan Evans, for Smith, said: “What I’m going to suggest to you is that Ms Smith grabbed you by the waist and held you back and that’s why you ended up on the floor.

He suggested there “were two dogs on the road” and that one of those dogs bit Smith.

He added: “I’m going to suggest that you bit Ms Smith, you bit her on the arm, do you remember that?”

Ms Hussein said: “No, I don’t bite people.”

In her opening speech, Polly Dyer, prosecuting, had said: “You may think that if an individual is attacked in the presence of their dog that dog may act to defend them.”

The trial continues.