Andrew Tate's UK civil trial over abuse, coercive control allegations moved to 2026
LONDON (Reuters) -Andrew Tate, an internet personality and self-described misogynist, faces a trial in Britain next year in four women's civil lawsuits for alleged physical and sexual abuse, after the case was brought forward on Wednesday.
The four claimants, who have been granted anonymity, allege Tate subjected them to physical or sexual violence between 2013 and 2015. Two say they were in an intimate relationship with Tate, while two worked for his online webcam business.
The women's lawyers say in court filings that one woman was threatened with a gun as Tate said "you're going to do as I say or there'll be hell to pay", while another alleges Tate strangled her until she was unconscious during sex.
Tate, 38, denies the allegations and his lawyers say in his written defence that the claims are false and that all sexual activity was consensual.
During a preliminary hearing at London's High Court on Wednesday, the trial was brought forward to June 2026, having previously been due to start in early 2027.
"It's not in anyone's interest that this case goes into the long grass of 2027," judge Christina Lambert said.
The claimants' lawyer Anne Studd said that, in addition to the four women, there would be a further six to eight witnesses.
The four British claimants welcomed the decision.
"We've already spent years waiting for justice, and so it's of some comfort to hear that Andrew Tate will face these allegations in a court earlier than the original plan of 2027," they said.
Tate did not attend Wednesday's brief hearing and was not required to do so. His lawyers previously said he intends to give evidence in his defence at the trial.
Tate and his brother Tristan are under criminal investigation in Romania and face a criminal case in Britain. Their lawyers said last month the pair will return to face those charges once proceedings in Romania conclude.
(Reporting by Michael Holden, writing by Sam Tobin, editing by Ed Osmond)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Irish rappers Kneecap ignite Glastonbury with anti-Israel, anti-Starmer chants
GLASTONBURY, United Kingdom: Irish rap trio Kneecap took aim at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a defiant performance Saturday at Britain's Glastonbury festival, which also saw Britpop legends Pulp wow fans with a surprise show. Kneecap has made headlines in recent months with their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance. One of their members has been charged with a "terror" offence for allegedly supporting Hizbollah, leading Starmer and other politicians to call for them to be dropped from the line up. In front of thousands of fans, many waving Palestinian flags, Kneecap led the crowd in chanting abuse about Starmer. "Glastonbury, I'm a free man", said member Liam O'Hanna, who appeared in court earlier this month accused of having displayed a Hizbollah flag while saying "Up Hamas, Up Hizbollah" after a video resurfaced of a London concert last year. The Iran-backed Lebanese force Hizbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas are banned in the UK, and it is an offence to express support for them. O'Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, has denied the charge. "This situation can be quite stressful but it's minimal compared to what the Palestinian people are (facing)," said O'Hanna, wearing his trademark keffiyah. O'Hanna also gave "a shout out" to Palestine Action Group, which interior minister Yvette Cooper announced last week would become a banned group under the Terrorism Act of 2000. Fellow band member DJ Provai wore a t-shirt dedicated to the campaign group, whose prohibition comes after its activists broke into a British Royal Air Force base and vandalised two planes. Before Kneecap took to the stage, rap punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants of "Death, death to the IDF", a reference to the Israeli Defence Forces. Israel's embassy to the UK said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric" in a post on X following the event. "It raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence," it said, calling for festival organisers, artists and UK officials to denounce the remark. Local police said they were assessing videos of comments made by both groups to decide whether any offences may have been committed, UK media reported. Formed in 2017, Kneecap is no stranger to controversy. To their fans they are daring provocateurs who stand up to the establishment; to their detractors they are dangerous extremists. Their Irish and English lyrics are filled with references to drugs, they repeatedly clashed with the UK's previous Conservative government and have vocally opposed British rule in Northern Ireland. The group apologised this year after a 2023 video emerged appearing to show one singer calling for the death of British Conservative MPs. Two MPs have been murdered in Britain in the past nine years and many of them worry about their safety. But Kneecap deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the Hizbollah flag has been taken out of context. Asked whether he regretted waving it, and other comments caught on camera, Chara told the Guardian in an interview published Friday: "Why should I regret it? It was a joke – we're playing characters." Chris Jeffries, a 32-year-old analyst at a bank, told AFP that Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury made him proud to be a fan. "They're one of the only bands here that are actually preaching about Palestine," said Jeffries, wearing an Irish tricolour balaclava. Since O'Hanna was charged, the group has been pulled from a slew of summer gigs, including a Scottish festival appearance and various performances in Germany. But Glastonbury organisers defied Starmer who had said it was not "appropriate" for Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury, one of the country's biggest and most famous music festivals. "People that don't like the politics of the event can go somewhere else," Michael Eavis, co-founder of the festival said in an article published in a free newspaper for festival-goers. Public broadcaster the BBC faced pressure not to air the concert. In a statement Saturday, a spokesperson for the broadcaster said the performance would not be shown live but would likely be available on-demand afterwards. Pulp, led by Jarvis Cocker, had fans bouncing to '90s anthem "Common People" after being listed on the lineup as "Patchwork." "Sorry to the people who were expecting Patchwork," the frontman joked. Headline acts at the festival which finishes Sunday include Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo, with other highlights including Charli XCX and Rod Stewart.--AFP
Focus Malaysia
13 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
MACC targets RM4.5 bil in undeclared Daim assets across five countries
THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has uncovered undeclared assets worth at least RM4.5 bil linked to the late former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, his family, and proxies in five countries — the US, Singapore, Japan, Italy, and Jersey (a British island near France). These assets include condominiums, commercial buildings, bank accounts, a hotel in Japan, and a shopping mall in Italy. MACC plans to seek restraining orders to freeze them, with assistance from foreign authorities. 'All of these assets and properties were not declared to MACC during investigations conducted in 2023. Therefore, a restraining order will be sought soon, with help from the relevant countries,' a source said. Earlier, MACC froze seven properties and one bank account in the UK worth RM758.2 million, believed to be owned by Daim's wife, Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid, and her family. MACC found that the assets are linked to alleged offences under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001. However, on June 23, the Kuala Lumpur High Court temporarily suspended the freezing order after Daim's wife successfully challenged it through her lawyer, Datuk Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar. MACC is also seeking to seize Ilham Tower in Kuala Lumpur and has opened eight investigation papers based on new information from foreign agencies regarding Daim's undeclared assets during the 2023 probe. —June 29, 2025 Main image: Malay Mail
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
Three killed, six injured in stampede at chariot festival in Puri, India
BHUBANESWAR, (India): Three people were killed and six injured in a stampede during a festival in eastern India on Sunday (June 29), officials said. "Three people have died and six sustained injuries; none of them are serious and all are out of danger," YB Khurania, director general of police in the state of Odisha, told Reuters. The incident occurred at dawn as thousands of Hindu devotees gathered at an annual chariot festival in Puri, said a senior administrative officer told Reuters. He asked not to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to the media. The Statesman reported that the stampede occured near the Gundicha temple (Temple of Lord Jagannath's aunt) in Puri during wee hours on Sunday, police said. The mishap took place at around 4.20am in front of three chariots of Lord Jagannath and His siblings—Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. Apparently, poor crowd management and inadequate police deployment resulted in the tragic mishap. There was no presence of police or security forces anywhere near the chariots as the crowd surged to catch a glimpse of the deities during the morning hours. It was some local youths who tried to control the crowd and saved several people from getting stuck in the stampede. But for their timely voluntary act, the death toll might have been much higher, said eyewitnesses. AFP reported that Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the "tragic incident" occurred due to the "overwhelming rush of devotees". "I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives," Majhi posted on social media platform X, adding that a probe was launched. "This negligence is unforgivable. I have directed an immediate investigation into the safety lapses and exemplary actions will be taken against those responsible." Stampedes occur routinely during large Hindu gatherings in the world's most-populous country, as huge crowds gather in tight spaces, often ignoring safety protocols. In January, at least 39 people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, northern India. - Reuters, The Statesman, AFP
