Justin Bieber has pleaded guilty to charges of assault and careless driving relating to an incident with a paparazzo photographer near his hometown of Stratford, Ontario during a trip home with ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez in August of last year.
The "Heartbreaker" hitmaker appeared in court via a video link from Los Angeles on Thursday, June 4, and pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him, his lawyer, Brian Greenspan, confirmed to reporters.
The 21-year-old singer received an absolute discharge on the assault charge and a Canadian dollar fine of $750 for the careless driving charge.
As Us Weekly reported at the time, local media reported that Biebs was taken into custody after being involved in a collision between an ATV and a minivan, which resulted in a fight.
Bieber's lawyer, Greenspan, said the absolute discharge for the assault “recognized the fact that it was an incident that was somewhat provoked and that it lasted less than a minute”.
“The assault was described even by the photographer as a couple of slaps — certainly three at the most — that he deflected with his shoulder,” Greenspan added, then confirming his client had admitted responsibility for his actions.
This is the latest in a string of run-ins with the law for the teen idol. In July last year, Bieber pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vandalism charges for throwing eggs at a neighbor's home in California. In August he pleaded guilty to careless driving and resisting an officer without violence, in Florida.
