A Florida judge has cancelled the planned assault trial for Rod Stewart and his son Sean, instead opting to schedule a hearing to discuss a plea deal.
As reported by AP News, Rod and Sean Stewart were set to go to trial this week over charges stemming from a 2019 New Year’s Eve incident involving a hotel security guard.
Instead, the hearing with Judge August Bonavita, set for October 22nd, will focus on reaching a plea agreement to close the case without the pair needing to appear in court.
If they were found guilty of the battery charges, the Stewarts faced up to a year in jail, or probation and a USD $1,000 fine.
Although the alleged altercation occurred nearly two years ago, the issue has not yet been resolved due to COVID-19 related delays and settlement negotiations.
Stewart and Sean are accused of pushing and shoving Breakers Hotel security guard Jessie Dixon because he wouldn’t let them into a New Year’s Eve party, AP News reports.
According to a police report accessed by AP News, Dixon told Palm Beach police that Stewart’s group was at the check-in table for a private party they weren’t authorised to attend.
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Dixon revealed that he put his hand on Sean’s chest and told him to back away when the group began causing a scene.
According to Dixon, Sean then shoved him backwards, before Stewart joined in by punching him in the “left rib cage area” with a closed fist.
Two other Breakers Hotel employees told police that they witnessed the interaction and corroborated Dixon’s story.
The police officer who arrested the Stewarts also said he saw security footage from the hotel that indicated they were the “primary aggressors”.
Meanwhile, Sean told investigators that he become irritated when they were barred from attending the event “due to Dixon’s interaction with him and his family.”
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