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WITH HIS RASPY voice and sex appeal, Rod Stewart has rarely been considered controversial.
But after an unlikely online row, the pop star has apologised for a video that some saw as emulating an Islamic State beheading.
The singer of “Some Guys Have All the Luck” and “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” appeared in a video posted by his wife in which he mockingly pretended to behead a kneeling friend on the beach, evoking for some the grainy but grisly propaganda footage of the extremists.
Confounding matters for some online observers, Stewart was visiting the Middle East and his wife, model Penny Lancaster, had put pictures of herself on Instagram in a veil as she visited a mosque.
The 72-year-old British singer, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, said today he had no intention of emulating the Islamic State group and instead was acting out a scene from the fantasy television series “Game of Thrones.”
“From re-enacting the Beatles’ Abbey Road crossing to spontaneously playing out ‘Game Of Thrones,’ we were simply larking about pre-show,” Stewart said of the since-deleted video.
“Understandably, this has been misinterpreted and I send my deepest apologies to those who have been offended,” he said in a statement.
The singer – whose hits also include “Maggie May,” “Forever Young” and a cover of “Downtown Train” – is touring the United States this summer with Cyndi Lauper, another pop singer best known for her 1980s hits.
What the f@ck is going on with the judicial system in this country??
No idea but the article is about Bangor, Co. Down where a different judicial system is in operation.
True enough but still a joke.
Look at how long it took them to pass legislation on “online grooming”. It’s difficult to criminalise behaviour that’s indicative of future crimes without the actual commission of the crime, total legal quagmire.
The simple fact he was detained and only released under bail conditions for vaguely defined “suspicious approaches” is a result of expanded child protection laws, of which the North has more stringent ones than we do.
I’d like to know what the charges would be if prosecution went ahead. Also, what are the bail conditions? Hopefully stringent enough so he can be charged if and/or when he breaks them, and it’s not a matter of waiting for him to commit a more easily prosecutable crime.
Our judicial system is as bad if not worse
Ffs. ..another one loose again
Nutcracker the only job for that animal
Hopefully his file rather than been passed to the courts office makes its way in a brown envelope out the back door and to a group of lads that will have a chat with him that involves a coal bag full of chimney cleaning rods,
Coming out of chimney sweeping season! Another career could be better
A year or so ago, there was an alert about a strange man approaching children outside our local school.
When the panic and lynch mob calmed down, it transpired the man had learning difficulties and was simply lonely and could relate to children more than adults.
It is right that we are all vigilant and that we get police to investigate matters, but let’s slow down with the fire torches and pitchforks and let our justice system deal with it calmly
Once upon a long ago, a certain loyalist paramilitary group, well known for being strongly connected to certain child abusers, ran the Kilcooley estate.
Must still be in charge.
He’s released on bail with severe conditions I presume.Its incredible.
That’s good thinking wait until he assaults or kills some child then arrest him . I will never understand the system
His mind set he is going to be locked up anyway with this in mind he could strike again with terrible consequences for some family . Very risky to release him.
That’s sounds about right
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