26 October 2023, 16:46 | Updated: 26 October 2023, 16:52
The TikToker will have to stand trial without his key witness.
Picture:
Alamy
The social media menace appeared at Stratford Magistrates Court in East London on Thursday morning after being accused of posting social media videos of people without their consent.
Mizzy, whose real name is Bacari-Bronze O’Garro, is standing trial on four counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order after his defence lawyer, Paul Lennon, applied to adjourn the hearing.
The lawyer told the court that O’Garro had been arrested on 16 October on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
The father of one’s main witness was due to give evidence on Thursday but has also been arrested.
Both were arrested and released on bail under the condition they do not contact each other.
Mr Lennon said his client would not be able to have a “fair trial” without O’Garro’s evidence.
The defence lawyer told the court: It was hoped that the sole witness in his (O’Garro) favour would be able to attend court to provide evidence in support of the defence.
Read more: TikTok menace Mizzy spotted trashing Primark with band of followers on Oxford Street
Read more: TikTok provocateur Mizzy trolls police in new vid and claims he got ‘sucked in’ to playing a character
“That is no longer possible”, he said.
“Last week Mr O’Garro and his first and only witness were arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
“Both were released on bail with the condition not to contact each other directly or indirectly.
“Had he (the witness) not been arrested on a very serious allegation he would have been here to give evidence on behalf of Mr O’Garro.
“It was hoped as of yesterday that the matter would not be proceeded with.
“Instead, he (O’Garro) was bailed until January 2024.”
The tearaway has also filmed himself engaging in other intrusive acts.
Picture:
Facebook
However, Judge Matthew Bone rejected the defence’s submission and the trial proceeded.
He told the court: “The witness’s unavailability was known on or before October 16.
“I am not prepared to adjourn this case.
“The trial will proceed today.”
O’Garro’s case was previously adjourned at the same court after he was accused of partaking in further “criminal activities”.
This added to another submission by prosecution and defence lawyers at a hearing in September.
Thursday’s trial heard how the prankster posted videos to his social media without the consent of the people he filmed just hours after he was prohibited by a criminal behaviour order on 24 May.
The court was shown footage that O’Garro posted on X/Twitter where he filmed inside Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, where people can be seen in the background.
At 10:50, he posted a second video, titled Sainsbury’s Security Are Slow, where he was riding an electric bike at speed through the shop before breaking into the stock room and dodging staff.
He then fled the scene and zoomed down shopping aisles.
At one point, he narrowly missed a woman and her baby in a pram.
Read more: TikToker Mizzy banned from uploading videos without permission after filming himself entering frightened family’s home
Two days later, he posted a video titled I Finally Got A Job, which showed the TikToker cycling through a job centre.
Staff had attempted to stop him but O’Garro said: “Oh, I can’t ride a bike here? I didn’t know.”
O’Garro claimed that one of his friends, who had access to his login details, posted the videos on Twitter without his consent.
Other videos shared on O’Garro’s Snapchat account showed him grabbing hold of a schoolboy by his uniform and a second showing a man with dwarfism attacking him which O’Garro claimed were hoax videos made with their prior agreement.
The tearaway has also filmed himself engaging in other intrusive acts, such as walking into strangers’ homes, riding on top of buses and stealing a dog.
https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/tiktok-mizzy-trial-without-key-witness-arrest-perverting-the-course-of-justice/
