Kanye West enters not guilty plea

Tuesday, 19 May 2009

Kanye West has pleaded not guilty to charges of battery and grand theft.

The 'Stronger' singer - who was arrested for allegedly damaging a photographer's camera during a scuffle at Los Angeles International Airport last September - denied all charges against him, which also included misdemeanour vandalism.

Kanye was not present in the Los Angeles court but his lawyer Blair Berk appeared on his behalf.

The 31-year-old star's road manager Don Crawley was charged with two counts of battery, grand theft and misdemeanour vandalism but also pleaded not guilty through his attorney Shawn Chapman Holley.

Kanye was released on bail after being arrested on September 11.

Onlookers claimed he approached the photographer, who works for gossip website TMZ.com, and "grabbed his camera, threw it to the ground and broke it into pieces".

The website report added: "Our photographer was then approached by the road manager who 'grabbed his camera, ripped off the microphone and viewfinder and smashed it to the ground'."

The rapper was then arrested and taken to a police station in Los Angeles.

Following his arrest, Kanye wrote on his blog: "I'm cool with the paparazzi. This guy wasn't cool. I gotta work now ... I'll rant later!"

Last November, Kanye - whose next hearing is scheduled for July 15 - was arrested in Newcastle, England, after another confrontation with a photographer but was released without charge.