TORONTO - Canadian pop star Justin Bieber is "relieved" prosecutors have dropped an assault charge against him in connection with an alleged attack on a Toronto limousine driver, his lawyer said Monday.
The charge, which stemmed from an early morning incident on Dec. 30, was withdrawn because there was no reasonable prospect of conviction, prosecutors said in a brief court appearance.
Bieber was charged with one count of assault after he and five others were picked up by a limousine at a Toronto nightclub. Police alleged one of the passengers hit the limousine driver during an altercation.
"The Crown would be required to prove that an intentional application of force occurred, as well as who applied that force," prosecutor David Mitchell told the court.
"There were a number of people in the vehicle seated behind the driver at the time of the incident, and the Crown is not in a position to establish the identification of the person who came into contact with the complainant beyond a reasonable doubt based on the evidence available."
The singer's lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said police did their job in investigating the complaint and the Crown made the right decision based on the resulting evidence.
"This is an example of the system working effectively and properly," he said.
"(Bieber) is obviously relieved and obviously looks forward to being advised... that he can go forward and move along without this in his life."
Neither Bieber nor his supporters were in court Monday, though hordes of screaming fans braved frigid weather to await his arrival when he turned himself in to police in January. Some also showed up for previous court hearings hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer, who was not present.
It is one of a series of legal troubles faced by the 20-year-old star.
On Aug. 29, Bieber was arrested and charged with dangerous driving and assault following a collision between a minivan and an ATV in a rural area northeast of Bieber's hometown of Stratford, Ont.
The driver of the ATV and an occupant of the minivan "engaged in a physical altercation,'' according to police.
A hearing on those charges has been scheduled for Sept. 29.
Greenspan would not discuss the Stratford charges but said he hoped to see the same outcome in that case.
The singer has also had run-ins with the law in the United States.
Bieber was arrested in Florida in January after what police alleged was an illegal street race involving the pop star and his friend.
In August, Bieber pleaded guilty to charges of careless driving and resisting arrest in that case and in a plea bargain was sentenced to an anger management course, a $500 fine and a $50,000 charitable contribution.
In July, Bieber pleaded no contest to a misdemeanour vandalism charge and was ordered to pay nearly $81,000 in damages and to serve two years probation following an egg-tossing incident which caused damage to a neighbour's home in Calabasas, Calif.
The singer was also ordered to complete five days of community labour and a 12-week anger-management program and to stay away from the victim and his family for two years. Bieber has since moved from Calabasas into a Beverly Hills condo.
Police alleged Bieber hit the driver several times in the back of the head after the pop star and five others were picked up by a limousine in Toronto on Dec. 30, 2013. Bieber pleaded not guilty to assault and the charge was withdrawn on Sept. 8, 2014.
Jan. 14, 2014: Police searched Bieber's home in Calabasas, Calif., and detectives later filed a search warrant following an egg-tossing incident which caused damage to a neighbour's home. In July, Bieber pleaded no contest to a misdemeanour vandalism charge and was ordered to pay nearly $81,000 in damages and to serve two years' probation. The singer was also ordered to complete five days of community labour and a 12-week anger management program. Bieber has since moved from Calabasas into a Beverly Hills condo.
Jan. 23, 2014: Bieber was arrested in Miami Beach after what police described as an illegal street race involving the pop star and a friend. Neither was charged with drag racing, but Bieber was charged with resisting arrest after a profanity-laced tirade against police officers. Urine tests also revealed the presence of marijuana and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in his system. In August, Bieber pleaded guilty to charges of careless driving and resisting arrest. A plea deal struck with prosecutors included a 12-hour anger management course, a $50,000 charitable contribution already made to a local children's organization and a $500 fine.
Aug. 20, 2014: A lawsuit filed by paparazzo Aja Oxman alleged Bieber ordered his bodyguard, Dwayne Patterson, to take a memory card after the photographer snapped photos of the pop singer on a Hawaiian beach in November of 2013. The suit also alleged Patterson placed Oxman in a chokehold and seriously injured him and damaged his camera. The photographer is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $25,000 for assault and battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Bieber wasn't arrested and no charges were filed against him due to a lack of evidence that he ordered Patterson to attack Oxman.
Aug. 29, 2014: Bieber was arrested and charged with dangerous driving and assault after a collision between a minivan and an ATV in a rural area northeast of his hometown of Stratford, Ont. A lawyer for the pop star said Bieber's "peaceful retreat" with Selena Gomez — the singer's on-again, off-again girlfriend — was "unfortunately disrupted by the unwelcome presence of the paparazzi" whom he said was involved in the incident. Bieber was to appear in a Stratford court on Sept. 29.
