Drill Rapper Russ Millions Banned For Driving BMW After Smoking Weed

Court Date: Millions

Chart-topping rapper Russ Millions was yesterday banned from driving his expensive first car after police caught him at the wheel while nearly three times the cannabis limit.

The 27 year-old, whose 2021 hit ‘Body’ was the first drill rap single to reach Number One had splashed out on a blue BMW X6 Series with his recording earnings.

His debut hit 2018’s ‘Gun Lean’ was the first of the genre to break the top ten and Millions’ video performance inspired a dance craze, particularly mimicked by football star Jesse Lingard.

Another motorist reported him to the police for allegedly cutting him up in south-east London and a policeman detected a strong smell of cannabis and Millions was arrested.

He appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Monday under his real name Shylo Millwood, where he was disqualified from driving for twelve months, fined £1,000, with £85 costs and ordered to pay a £400 surcharge.

Millions pleaded guilty to driving in Mottingham Road, Mottingham on March 1, with a THC cannabinol reading of 5.8 micrograms per litre of blood - the legal limit is 2.0.

He also pleaded guilty to driving in breach of his licence, namely without L-plates and driving without insurance.

“It was his first car and he took it out with a family member in his fifties and if he had L-plates he would have been fine,” said Colin Witcher, defending.

“The other vehicle’s driver pointed him out, claiming he had been cut up near the petrol station and it is correct Mr Millwood had consumed cannabis earlier that day.

“His mother is in court to support him and has taken the day off work and she has expressed her frustration at his behaviour.

“He was lining-up to have a driving test and had a nice new car, which his mother will now be driving exclusively. The car was to have given him the freedom he wanted.”

The court heard Deptford-born Millions, of Birdham Close, Bickley, Bromley draws down £1300 per week from his management accountants.

“As far as his family are concerned their attitude is ‘it’s your mess, you pay, you face the consequences.’

“It will have consequences,” added Mr Witcher. “He is not proud of it and wants to put it behind him.”

Prosecutor Sophie Young told the court it was 5.10pm when Millions was pointed-out to police by another motorist while behind the wheel of the BMW.

“He referred to an earlier incident and a police national computer check showed this defendant only had a provisional licence and was not displaying any L-plates.

“When the officer spoke to Mr Millwood there was a strong smell of cannabis and a roadside drugs swipe was requested.

“This was initially refused and he was arrested. He then consented to the test and it was returned positive.”

Blood test analysis later revealed the true cannabis reading.

Millions has previous convictions for possessing heroin and cannabis in 2016 and possessing cannabis in 2017, plus a record of failing to comply with court community orders.

District Judge Sarah Turnock told him: “You have pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and have pleaded guilty without the full papers being served on you, so are deserving of full credit.

“I am aware of the journey you were taking that day, but you have to display L-plates and be incredibly careful about insurance policies, which can be incredibly complicated.

“If you are still smoking cannabis you should know it remains in your system for a long time, it may even still be in your system for a week. 

“If this happens again within the next ten years the minimum disqualification will be three years.”

‘Body’ was also a number One in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland and Millions enjoyed a further top ten hit with Keisha & Becky’ in 2019.

City Lawyer Fractured Banker's Jaw At The Ned

Punch: Barnaby Gush

A City lawyer fractured a tipsy investment banker’s jaw with a single punch at the exclusive Ned nightspot during a dance floor confrontation, a court heard today.

Property solicitor Barnaby Gush, 30, claims Jonathan Luke, 32, - who needed two metal plates to repair his jaw - shouted the gay slur: “F*** off you little p***,” - due to his flamboyant dancing at the members-only basement Vault bar.

Loughborough University graduate Mr Luke denies he was drunk and aggressive during his company’s end-of-Summer night out, insisting he was nothing more than “reasonably tipsy.”

Gush, of The Merchant Building, Wharf Road, Angel, Islington - an architecture graduate from Newcastle University - has pleaded not guilty to one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm on September 24, 2021.

He admits striking out in self-defence, claiming Mr Luke twice bumped into him on the dance floor before moving aggressively towards him as the pair “squared up” in the early hours.

Mr Luke told Inner London Crown Court his evening began at The Happenstance, near St. Paul’s Cathedral. “There was a free bar. It was a drinking event.”

After “two or three” beers, “one or two” glasses of wine, plus a shot his group continued drinking cocktails at the Ned, near the Bank of England.

“I was with colleagues and having a nice time and I remember feeling this punch at the bottom of my jaw from the right. It felt like a big, sudden impact, a shock,” he explained.

“I was not braced for any impact and it was very sore. I felt a bit of a hole in my mouth and it was where the jaw had displaced.

“I hoped I could sleep it off, but the police called in the morning and suggested I should go to A&E.

Fractured Jaw: Jonathan Luke

“I could not swallow and two metal plates were put in to crack the lower jaw back into place.”

However, Gush’s lawyer Aisling Byrnes suggested: “You were very drunk that evening. Do you recall wandering around the dance floor going from group to group?”

Mr Luke denied this, but the lawyer added: “You were making a little bit of a nuisance of yourself on the dance floor. You made physical contact with Mr Gush while he was dancing and it is no dispute he hit you.

“He and his friend moved away and you backed into him harder than before while he was dancing.”

Mr Luke denied Gush’s account of events, insisting: “I didn’t really bump into anyone.”

He denied shouting the foul-mouthed gay slur. “Had you seen him dancing flamboyantly with his friends?” asked the lawyer.

Gush says he told Mr Luke: “Why do you keep bumping into me? Leave me alone.”

The court heard there was talk of “let’s go outside,” with Gush recalling telling the taller Mr Luke: “I’d rather you f*** off.”

The six-foot two inch banker denied moving towards the defendant with his right arm and shoulder at Gush’s “neck and chest height” moments before the blow.

Security staff intervened and called the police as Mr Luke, who had blood on his chin and shirt, was being attended to.

Prosecutor Lewis MacDonald told the jury Gush replied “no comment” when interviewed by police. 

“He now suggests he was acting in self-defence because he felt threatened by Mr Luke, but the complainant did not commit any act of violence and we say nothing justified the defendant punching him in the face with such force.

“Witnesses describe them on the dance floor squaring-up and Mr Gush punching Mr Luke in the face and is heard shouting: ‘Let’s take this outside,’ or: ‘Let’s have a fight.’

“Security  staff at The Ned immediately intervened and separated the men and called the police, waiting with Mr Gush until he was arrested.

Trial continues…..

NOT GUILTY: Navy Officer Cleared Of Wedding 'Bottling'

Innocent: Joe Simmons

A Royal Navy officer, who smashed a wine bottle over the head of a fellow wedding guest during a midnight clean-up row, has been cleared of GBH.

Weapons engineer Joe Simmons, 28, lashed out after his bridesmaid girlfriend, 28 year-old Beatrix Sibley told him she had been assaulted by another guest at St. Luke’s Church, Kew, the trial heard.

Moments later Gareth Hopkins, 40, was struck over the head with the heavy full wine bottle, causing two deep 6cm and 4cm cuts, plus splintered bone fractures, causing him to blackout.

However, the Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court jury accepted Simmons was acting in self-defence, having been punched first by Mr Hopkins during the post-reception confrontation.

When questioned by police Simmons explained: “I just lashed out or pushed him away. I was shouting: ‘What the f*** do you think you are doing?’

“It was not an aimed blow. I used the hand that happened to be holding the bottle.”

Simmons, of Linden Lea, Fareham, Hampshire was found not guilty of wounding media productions manager Mr Hopkins, with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm on October 24, 2021.

He was also cleared of a lesser charge of simply wounding University of East Anglia graduate Mr Hopkins, who the jury were told got two punches in before he was struck with the wine bottle.

Earlier Ms Sibley - the bride’s sister - antagonised Mr Hopkins and other guests of the groom, who claimed she was rude when urging them to assist the clean-up. 

The trial heard she slapped Mr Hopkins hard across the face when he asked her: “Why are you being such a c***?”

The jury were told Simmons, who has a Masters degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, confronted Mr Hopkins after the confrontation with Ms Sibley, herself a chemical engineer with a Masters degree.

“Mr Hopkins was aware of this defendant approaching him very quickly and shouting,” explained prosecutor Christopher Amis. “He thought Mr Simmons was about to assault him so got a punch in first.

“This was followed by a second punch to the defendant’s face and Mr Simmons had not done anything at this point, but Mr Hopkins says when he punched he was acting in self-defence.

“As other wedding guests jumped in between them Mr Hopkins felt something hitting his forehead very hard and he blacked-out, while holding his face.

“The defendant was in possession of a bottle of wine and had put that into the other man’s face.

Wounds: Gareth Hopkins

“The bottle smashed and Mr Hopkins went straight to the ground and witnesses say both the defendant and his girlfriend were shouting loudly and aggressively.”

As the couple left in a taxi, 999 was called and an ambulance rushed the injured guest to Kingston Hospital, where he remained for three nights.

“He had been pretty badly injured with two pretty nasty gashes and two black eyes sustained from this bottling,” added Mr Amis. 

Mr Hopkins told the jury: “I was tipsy, but not drunk. I had wine and beer and it was a really good day, a celebration, a really good wedding.

“One of the bridesmaids, the bride Amy’s sister, demanded we start to help packing up and said it in an aggressive way and I was a bit taken aback by the way she said it.

“We followed her inside and started to help putting the decorations into bags and she said we were doing it wrong and that we were useless and to: ‘F*** off.’

“That’s what she said to us. She was in an aggressive state and I wanted to get away from her because she wanted to cause trouble.

“She barged my friend Lucy with her shoulder and I did say: ‘Why are you being such a c***?’ and she slapped me.

“I did not see it coming and it was really hard to my left cheek and I could not hear in my ear and was a bit dazed and confused,” he told the trial.

“Beatrix then grabbed Lucy’s hair and they got into a hair-pulling thing, a catfight and they may have been rolling on the floor and there was a biting incident.

“The defendant was coming at me in an aggressive manner and I could hear him shouting, but not the exact words because my ear was ringing.

“He got very close up into my face and I felt like I was going to be attacked and hit him with a right jab because I thought I was about to be hit. I punched him on the cheek.

“Someone from the wedding party pushed us apart and then I just felt a tremendous force hitting my forehead. When it struck it was a pounding pain.

“I felt a lot of liquid coming down my face, which I realised was blood and I lost power in my legs and I could still hear shouting and screaming at me and did not feel safe.

“The pain got worse and worse and I was close to losing unconsciousness and cowered behind a car as he shouted: ‘I’m gonna kill him,’ as he repeated the word ‘c***’ a lot.”

Mr Amis told the jury: “Earlier, according to some of the guests, Ms Sibley had been stroppy towards Mr Hopkins’ group and to others. She was angry or put out that she was having to clean up as other guests were standing around and not helping.

“Ms Sibley demanded to know why Mr Hopkins and his friends were not helping and in their eyes said rudely: ‘Why aren’t you guys helping clear up.’

“Mr Hopkins and his group started trying to help, but it did not seem to be appreciated and a few moments later Ms Sibley told them they were not being of any help at all and said: ‘F*** off.’

“She was still bothered and knocked or barged into Mr Hopkins’ friend, Lucy Richardson, which the complainant viewed as deliberate and said: ‘Why are you being such a c***?’

“He felt Ms Sibley had been rude and stroppy and she responded by slapping Mr Hopkins really hard to the face. It stunned him and he had to sit down on a bench.

“As she walked away Mr Hopkins followed, remonstrating with her, stunned that she slapped him in the face with such force.”

When Simmons emerges, carrying some bags and the bottle of wine, a guest overheard Ms Sibley telling him she had been assaulted, the jury were told.

When Simmons was questioned by on December 15, 2021 he told officers he was protecting himself. “He says he was acting in self-defence  and saw Ms Sibley involved in an argument,” explained Mr Amis.

“He told the police a man came running across the road and punched him hard in the face.”