Monday, 9 June 2008

Amy Winehouse's husband admits assault

Blake Fielder-Civil could be sentenced to up to three years in jail

Amy Winehouse with husband Blake Fielder-Civil

Amy Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder-Civil has pleaded guilty to charges of assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Fielder-Civil, 26, has been in jail awaiting trial since November 2007. During pretrial arguments last week – which could not be reported because of British media restrictions – he changed his plea from guilty to not guilty, admitting that on June 20, 2006, he assaulted James King, the landlord of Macbeth's pub in London.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge that he conspired to pervert the course of justice by offering King money to withdraw his allegations and leave the country.

Fielder-Civil will be sentenced in about a month, when the trial of his co-defendants is expected to finish. Three years in prison is a typical sentence for grievous bodily harm, according to U.K. sentencing guidelines. He also could receive a fine and/or more time in jail for the perverting the course of justice charge.

Winehouse – who made two brief visits to court during pretrial arguments last week – was not at London's Snaresbrook Crown Court when her husband pleaded guilty.

"She promised him she'd be here every day but it just depends on how bad she's been the night before," a family friend told PEOPLE. "She is obsessional about him. She does the same thing about visiting him in prison. She means to go and then she has a bad night and turns up late and they don't let her in. They don't mess around there [at London's Pentonville Prison]."

How is the already troubled singer handling her husband's plea?

"This isn't Amy's biggest problem. She's a smart girl and she's such a great talent and she's strong," the friend said. "Nobody can help her at this point until she decides to help herself."

By Courtney Rubin