Boy George: A hero destroyed by drug 'degradation'

 

An unrecognisable Boy George was yesterday jailed for 15 months for imprisoning a rent boy. Andy McSmith witnessed his demise

Saturday, 17 January 2009

Independent.co.uk

 

The grim, beat-up, overweight old man dressed in black leather, with shaven, tattooed skull, who is beginning a prison sentence for a false imprisonment, could hardly have looked less like the 1980s superstar he used to be.

 

George O'Dowd, who was a household name a generation ago as Boy George, lead singer of Culture Club, was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in jail for false imprisonment, after he chained and beat a man in a cocaine-fuelled outburst of paranoid fury.

 

O'Dowd, who is now 47, listened impassively as Judge David Radford explained why he was going against the advice of experts who had recommended a suspended prison sentence and unpaid community work. Although the judge said news that O'Dowd had kicked his cocaine habit was "welcome", he described the singer-turned-DJ's attack on a male escort as "an act of wholly gratuitous violence" which left his victim "shocked, degraded and traumatised".

 

Afterwards, women were crying outside the courtroom. A large contingent from O'Dowd's extended south-east London family had come to hear sentence being passed, along with some no-longer-young Boy George fans. One woman had candy floss pink hair, and two elderly gay men were exchanging outrageous comments as they waited for the court to resume. "His name's Queen, but he is not well equipped," they said of one man who walked by.

 

At least one court attendant, however, was underwhelmed. "All this fuss about a has-been," he commented. On being reminded that Boy George was a megastar 26 years ago, he added grumpily: "Was he?"

 

Boy George was one of the most intelligent of the so-called "New Romantics" who revived British pop after the slump of the early 1980s. At a time when it was risky to be seen to be gay, even in showbusiness, he always appeared in public heavily made up and dressed like a girl.

 

He grew up in Eltham, in a large, tough, Irish working-class family. One of his brothers was a professional boxer. Yet in his memoirs, written when he was 33, he said: "I wanted people to know I was gay. In many people's eyes, I was the premier poof, the benchmark by which others would be measured."

 

His sexuality did not prevent Culture Club's single "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" from reaching No 2 in the US, and No 1 in the UK and numerous other countries. But by the age of 25, he had such a drug problem that one of his brothers denounced him, hoping the shock would jolt him into giving up the habit. Two decades later, in 2005, in a fit of paranoia brought on by cocaine, he told New York police that his flat in Manhattan had been burgled. That led to him doing community service for wasting police time.

 

More seriously, in 2007, he attacked a Norwegian male escort, Audun Carlsen, 28, handcuffing him to a bed in his east London home and beating him with a chain. Both men were high on cocaine before the assault. O'Dowd denied false imprisonment, claiming he had reacted in anger because he suspected Mr Carlsen of downloading compromising photographs from his computer. He was unanimously convicted by a jury in November, and was back in court yesterday for sentence. O'Dowd's counsel, Adrian Waterman, said drugs had sent the singer to "the depths of degradation", but claimed that "he is, when sober and free from drugs, a kind and generous man".

 

He added: "There is something of an irony in that Mr Carlsen will make money out of this (he has hired Max Clifford as PR) while the cost to the defendant is enormous. He will probably now never be permitted to perform in the United States or Japan, where he has an enormous – I believe the word is – fan base. Not only will he lose the money but, more importantly, the chance to do what he loves."

 

But the judge told O'Dowd: "This offence is so serious that only an immediate sentence of imprisonment can be justified for it."

 

He ordered O'Dowd to pay £5,000 costs but said it was for a civil court to decide whether he should pay compensation to his victim.

 

What are your views on this case?

Men who commit crimes against women and children do not get sentences like that. I believe that the decision is homophobic and a classic example of how gay men are treated differently by the courts when the offences are of a sexual nature.

 

The sentence is totally over the top.

 

I also believe that the supposed victim has made more of this than what happened - after all, he has appeared in numerous George videos on YouTube nd had made many visits to George's apartment - for coke-fuelled 'photography' sessions. And there's many other factors to this case that haven't been reported - including various videos of this poor HIV-infected rentboy parading around George's house in states of undress (and in stilettos, no ess :P ). Because of George's fame, and the fact they think it's time he learnt his lesson, they have accepted what this lowlife rentboy said. The rentboy who was kept err 'captive' for just over 5 minutes :rolleyes: There's a lot more to this case than has been reported....

 

I feel like writing to the Home Office and complain. it's f***ing ridiculous and makes a total mockery of the law.

 

His legal team can appeal against the sentence and I would imagine that they would have started the process already. A good mate of mine in Liverpool had to give evidence in court once for a working girl who was kidnapped by a punter. He had picked her up in the red light district and then held her against her will, punched her and threatened her with all sorts. He got an 8 month suspended sentence. I also know of paedophile who was caught with a young child in his room and only got 8 months.

 

This sentence was harsh because it was male sex, and an aggressive form of male sex that some find, er, hard to swallow. It also shows that there is still an inequality for gay people where the law is concerned.

 

As for the trashy piece above - it was written by someone desperate to jump on the 'let's drag him down even further' banner - sickening.

 

For the record, BG has been drug-free for 8 months - and has had numerous extremely lucrative offers for his story upon his release - so there is an upside....

If anything the 'upside' is surely that in prison he has less chance of relapsing? I would not call the chance to sell his story on capitalise on his crime an 'upside' myself, since that's pretty low.

hmm... prisons are awash with drugs though.... the last place I'd want to send a recovering drug addict to be honest.

 

And after his shameful sentence - I think he should absolutely capitalise on all this.

 

15 months is crazy - if it wasn't Boy George and if it wasn't a case involving heavy duty gay sex.... there's no way he'd have gotten anywhere near this sentence.

Men who commit crimes against women and children do not get sentences like that. I believe that the decision is homophobic and a classic example of how gay men are treated differently by the courts when the offences are of a sexual nature.

 

The sentence is totally over the top.

 

I also believe that the supposed victim has made more of this than what happened - after all, he has appeared in numerous George videos on YouTube nd had made many visits to George's apartment - for coke-fuelled 'photography' sessions. And there's many other factors to this case that haven't been reported - including various videos of this poor HIV-infected rentboy parading around George's house in states of undress (and in stilettos, no ess :P ). Because of George's fame, and the fact they think it's time he learnt his lesson, they have accepted what this lowlife rentboy said. The rentboy who was kept err 'captive' for just over 5 minutes :rolleyes: There's a lot more to this case than has been reported....

 

I feel like writing to the Home Office and complain. it's f***ing ridiculous and makes a total mockery of the law.

 

His legal team can appeal against the sentence and I would imagine that they would have started the process already. A good mate of mine in Liverpool had to give evidence in court once for a working girl who was kidnapped by a punter. He had picked her up in the red light district and then held her against her will, punched her and threatened her with all sorts. He got an 8 month suspended sentence. I also know of paedophile who was caught with a young child in his room and only got 8 months.

 

This sentence was harsh because it was male sex, and an aggressive form of male sex that some find, er, hard to swallow. It also shows that there is still an inequality for gay people where the law is concerned.

 

As for the trashy piece above - it was written by someone desperate to jump on the 'let's drag him down even further' banner - sickening.

 

For the record, BG has been drug-free for 8 months - and has had numerous extremely lucrative offers for his story upon his release - so there is an upside....

 

I dont particularly like George O Dowd, and I dont like the fact that he DID commit an assault, like it or not mate, with a chain no less, regardless of the fact that a previous relationship may or may not have existed, it hardly matters.... BUT, when you consider the unduly light sentnces given to the likes of fukkin' Paul Gadd (rape of a minor SHOULD have gotten him a life sentence in Vietnam, he walks out of prison grinning like a Cheshire cat after less than two years... <_< ), and also the two cases you talked about in your post, well, I've got to concede that perhaps they are just looking to make an example of O' Dowd.... Also, there was some Judge a few years back who let a p**** walk free after raping an 11 year old girl, making the unbelievable statement, "she probably liked it...".... Christ, people like that shouldn't even be in the job.....

 

There are people who have done worse than this, and walk away with suspended sentences or scot free, I mean, there are certain celebs who murder their wives and are disgusting p**** perverts who take advantage of sick and dying kids and get off free..... <_< Gee, who could I be referring to....? :rolleyes: