Party guest slashed at Jessie J concert
Celebrity crowd locked in by police after brawl
SINGER Jessie J spoke of her shock yesterday after performing at a celebrity party that descended into a violent brawl and left a man fighting for his life.
The 24-year-old star of new BBC1 talent show The Voice had been performing at the event before the bloody altercation which resulted in a man being slashed in the neck with a bottle.
A 25-year-old suspect was being questioned by police yesterday, while the 37-year-old victim remained in a critical condition at an East London hospital.
Jessie J tweeted: ‘ My thoughts are with the person who was seriously injured last night. So sad. I really hope they are OK.’
Onlookers said the singer was rushed off stage following her performance.
One said: ‘Jessie was pushed through to the VIP area by about eight security men about 45 minutes before the brawl.’
Guests at the event, held by mobile phone manufacturer Blackberry at a nightclub in Southwark, South London, on Tuesday night told how the celebrity crowd were locked inside by police as they investigated the incident. Disturbing pictures showed pools of blood on the club floor.
Channel 4 News’s technology correspondent Benjamin Cohen, who was at the event, said he saw a bouncer whose hands and arms were covered in blood following the attack.
The victim is believed to have been assaulted just after midnight. One witness told the Mail: ‘The guy just swung a bottle and hit the other man in the neck. The bottle smashed on the side of his neck. I just can’t believe the amount of damage a bottle can do.’
Partygoers included the stars of reality shows The Only Way Is Essex and Made In Chelsea.
Some frustrated guests tried to kick down barriers to leave the venue, with model Bobby Sabel, who lives with socialite Tara Palmer Tomkinson, saying the crowd was ‘stampeding against the police’.
Reality TV star Lauren Goodger and N-dubz singer Fazer were later seen giving statements to police, and guests were stopped by officers as they left and asked for identification, addresses and phone numbers.
In a statement, the smartphone company said: ‘A serious incident occurred at our Blackberry event... Our first concern is the well-being of the injured guest.
‘We are doing all we can to assist police with their inquiries and are unable to provide further comment at this time.’