LONDON (AFP) — The husband of troubled British singer Amy Winehouse was jailed for 27 months Monday for attacking a pub landlord and perverting the course of justice.
Grammy award-winning Winehouse, who was herself interviewed during the investigation, was not in court to hear the sentence against Blake Fielder-Civil, 26, at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London.
Fielder-Civil admitted attacking the 36-year-old landlord of a pub in the trendy district of Hoxton in east London in June 2006, and of then trying to persuade the man not to give evidence against him.
He was high on alcohol and cocaine when he and a friend, Michael Brown, attacked 36-year-old James King outside the Macbeth Pub, said Judge David Radford.
Fielder-Civil joined in the attack "out of a mistaken sense of loyalty to your friend," he said.
"In joining in that attack by kicking out at Mr King after he had already been both punched and kicked by Mr Brown you behaved in a gratuitous, cowardly and disgraceful way.
"It will be of little comfort to Mr King that you did so because of your inebriation," the judge added. The victim of the attack suffered a broken cheekbone and still has counselling more than two years later.
Fielder-Civil has already served some nine months on remand, so in theory he could be released in another four and a half months, based on an assumption of good behaviour.
But the confirmation of the jail term will come as a new blow to Winehouse.
The "Back To Black" star, a recovering drug addict, was diagnosed with lung condition emphysema last month, and her father Mitch has said she could die "a very slow and painful death" if her behaviour does not remain under control.
Speaking after the sentencing, Fielder-Civil's solicitor Kate Anderson said her client may appeal.
"In the light of the extreme efforts Mr Fielder-Civil has made since being in custody, despite the pressures he's been under, we are disappointed with the length of the sentence," she said.
"We are giving serious consideration to appealing."
Besides Fielder-Civil, Brown was sentenced to a total of 33 months while two other defendants -- Anthony Kelly, 25, and James Kennedy, 20, were given sentences respectively of 20 months and 40 weeks suspended for 12 months.
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