Sir Rod Stewart and son Sean plead guilty to battery
by 0 Rock star Rod Stewart and his son have pleaded guilty to battery in an assault case following a New Year’s Eve incident with a security guard at an exclusive Florida hotel.
Court records released on Friday show the singer and his son Sean Stewart entered guilty pleas to misdemeanour charges of simple battery.
“No one was injured in the incident and a jury did not find Sir Rod Stewart guilty of the accusation,” his lawyer said in a statement.
“Instead, Sir Rod Stewart decided to enter a plea to avoid the inconvenience and unnecessary burden on the court and the public that a high profile proceeding would cause.”
The plea agreement, dated and signed Monday 13 December, means that Stewart, 76, and his son, 41, will not have to appear in court and formal adjudication of the charge was withheld.
There will be no trial.
Neither will do any jail time or be required to pay fines and will not be placed on probation.
The Stewarts were accused of a physical altercation with security guard Jessie Dixon at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach on 31 December 2019.
The dispute involved Mr Dixon’s refusal to allow them into a private New Year’s Eve party at the hotel.
He said in court papers that Rod Stewart punched him in the rib cage with a closed fist and that Sean Stewart shoved him.
A spokesperson for Palm Beach State Attorney, whose office prosecuted the case, said in an email that Mr Dixon agreed with the outcome of the case.
