Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial continues after court hears of domestic abuse

The high-profile national proceedings of Sean “Diddy” Combs enters its 2nd time connected Tuesday successful little Manhattan, wherever the 55-year-old euphony mogul faces charges including racketeering conspiracy, enactment trafficking, and proscription to prosecute successful prostitution.

Combs, who was arrested last September, has pleaded not blameworthy and denied each allegations.

On Monday, a assemblage of 8 men and 4 women heard opening statements, and grounds from the archetypal 2 witnesses called to the basal by the government.

Prosecutors allege that Combs ran a “criminal enterprise” done his concern empire, aided by associates and employees, that engaged successful crimes specified arsenic enactment trafficking, kidnapping, arson, bribery, enticement to prosecute successful prostitution and obstruction of justness – allegedly dating backmost to astatine slightest 2004.

In opening remarks, prosecutors accused Combs of utilizing threats, unit and coercion to unit women into enactment acts with antheral escorts astatine drug-fueled parties that helium orchestrated – events known arsenic “freak-offs”.

Combs’s defence attorneys acknowledged that Combs perpetrated home unit successful the past, but denied immoderate engagement successful enactment trafficking oregon a racketeering conspiracy, and portrayed immoderate radical enactment arsenic consensual, describing it arsenic portion of a “swinger’s lifestyle”.

Following opening statements, the prosecution called 2 witnesses.

The archetypal was Los Angeles constabulary serviceman Israel Florez, who was moving arsenic a information defender astatine the InterContinental edifice successful March 2016 erstwhile Combs was caught connected surveillance video assaulting his past girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. Ventura is expected to testify.

Florez testified that helium responded to a pistillate successful distress connected the sixth floor, and recovered Combs seated successful a towel, motionless and with what helium described arsenic “a devilish stare”. Ventura, Florez testified, had a “purple eye”.

Combs offered him a wad of cash, which helium understood to beryllium a bribe, Florez told the court. Florez said: “He [Combs] was telling me, ‘Don’t archer nobody.’”

The 2nd witnesser was Daniel Phillip, a erstwhile manager of a “male revue show”, which helium described arsenic a portion amusement for women.

He testified that astatine immoderate constituent successful 2012, Ventura paid him to person enactment with her successful beforehand of Combs, and that akin encounters took spot aggregate times implicit the pursuing twelvemonth oregon so.

During much than an hr of graphic testimony, Phillip said helium erstwhile witnessed Combs propulsion a liquor vessel astatine Ventura and, connected different occasion, resistance her by the hairsbreadth into a bedroom. He testified that helium past heard what sounded similar slapping and her screaming coming from the bedroom.

Combs’s family, including his mother, Janice Combs, and his children, were seated successful the courtroom’s beforehand enactment connected Monday. During Phillip’s testimony, Combs’s 3 teenage daughters near the room.

Phillip is expected to instrumentality to the basal for further cross-examination connected Tuesday morning.

In accordance with national tribunal rules, the proceedings is not being televised. If convicted, Combs, who has been jailed since his apprehension past year, could walk the remainder of his beingness successful prison.