Facing charges of disorder and common assault for grabbing theatre manager Richard Pound’s hair, Winehouse admitted to having consumed five vodka and cola drinks during a Dec. 19 pantomime performance of “Cinderella,” which featured screen legend Mickey Rooney.
Yes, that Mickey Rooney. The 89-year-old actor was appearing as Baron Hardup, a role he first played in 2007.
Although British audiences are traditionally quite vocal during pantomime performances and are often encouraged to shout at the actors onstage, prosecutors said Winehouse’s actions crossed over the line.
Prosecutor Julian Vickery said the singer was “raising her voice in the spirit of the pantomime” on the night she assaulted Pound and audience members “may have found her disorderly.” Vickery also said at least one audience member asked Winehouse to hush.
But it was during a trip to the restroom that Winehouse’s night at the theatre turned into an assault case.
As she passed the bar, Winehouse asked Pound for another drink, but the theatre manager suggested she have a glass of water instead – an action that caused the singer to feel “hurt, embarrassed and patronized,” according to Vickery, saying the diva “with no premeditation, grabbed his [Pound’s] hair and pulled.”
Saying it was “obvious that alcohol played its part,” District Judge Peter Crabtree ordered Winehouse to pay £185. However, the payment may be the easiest part of her punishment.
That’s because the judge also gave her a conditional discharge, meaning she won’t receive any more punishment for the incident as long as she stays out of trouble for two years.
“(That) may be harder than a fine,” the judge said. “Because you have now got to stay on the straight and narrow for the next two years.”