Rapper Lady Leshurr bit a security officer’s hand so badly she suffered “nerve damage”, a court has heard.
The 35-year-old artist, whose real name is Melesha O’Garro, is accused of assaulting Chante Boyea — then dating her ex-girlfriend Sidnee Hussein — just after 5am on October 22 2022.
O’Garro, from Kingshurst, Birmingham and her co-defendant Sherelle Smith allegedly attacked Ms Hussein after she tried to help Ms Boyea, Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London heard.
The rapper denies two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and Smith, 29, from Yardley, Birmingham, denies one count of the same charge.
Giving evidence on Wednesday, Ms Boyea said she was a security officer who was training to become a dog handler at the time of the incident.
She said she left her then partner Ms Hussein’s home at about 5am and was driving a “dog handler vehicle”, with one of her dogs, Toby, a Belgian Malinois, in the boot.
The car had lights on the roof that can flash to aid visibility on certain sites and it had previously been mistaken for a police vehicle, she said.
Ms Boyea told jurors she was driving to work along Knotts Green Road, Walthamstow, when two women flagged down her car appearing to need her help.
She claims they were “running and screaming and “shouting help, please help”, so “as a normal civilian I went to give help”.
O’Garro then opened her front passenger door and started “shouting into the car” before they exited the vehicle, Ms Boyea said.
She added: “She (O’Garro) was running towards me, quite quickly, and threw punches which, a few of them did strike me, I then put my left hand out to defend myself.”
She then put her head down and bit on to my hand that was holding on to her. She bit down on my hand and from that point on she didn't let go— Chante Boyea
She said she held O’Garro at arm’s length to prevent further punches from landing, the court heard.
“She then put her head down and bit onto my hand that was holding on to her,” she added. “She bit down on my hand and from that point on she didn’t let go.”
Ms Boyea was able to take out her phone with her right hand and call Ms Hussein for help, she said.
The prosecution case is that Ms Hussein rushed from the house to her aid and was unwittingly followed by a pet dog, Kodi, after leaving the door open.
Ms Boyea told jurors that O’Garro only stopped biting her when Ms Hussein arrived and was herself attacked by Smith.
“I could see Sherelle Smith attacking Sidnee Hussein on the floor,” she added.
“At that point, she (O’Garro) immediately ran over to where they was then fighting on the floor, we both ran over to them.
“Sherelle Smith was on top of Sidnee Hussein. Sidnee Hussein was trying to push her off and there was punches being thrown by Sherelle Smith.”
Ms Boyea said she helped drag Ms Hussein out from underneath Smith.
During the melee, she claims that O’Garro kicked a barking Kodi on the nose.
I suggest to you that she opened the door because you had actively unlocked the door in order to invite Ms O'Garro into the passenger seat of the car— Ronnie Bergenthal, for O'Garro
The couple rushed back to Ms Hussein’s home, and the defendants also ducked into a nearby property where they were later arrested.
During cross-examination, Ronnie Bergenthal, for O’Garro, suggested Ms Boyea had not seen the defendants running and shouting for help and “deliberately followed them” after spotting O’Garro.
He suggested she “had a problem with Ms O’Garro stemming from what was a long-term relationship she had had with your partner at the time Ms Hussein”, but Ms Boyea denied this.
“Do you recall momentarily putting on your flashing roof light when you approached them?,” Mr Bergenthal asked. Ms Boyea said she did not.
He added: “Did you want to create an impression that whilst you are driving that vehicle, that security vehicle, that you were a person in authority and therefore illuminated your roof lights?” She again denied this.
Mr Bergenthal said: “I suggest to you that she opened the door because you had actively unlocked the door in order to invite Ms O’Garro into the passenger seat of the car.
“She made some flippant remark to you about your relationship with Sidnee Hussein which made you lose your temper…
“I’m going to suggest you got that dog out of the boot, that security dog.
“You began to attack Ms O’Garro and you were assisted in that attack by your security dog.”
He claimed she was “using your security dog as a weapon on Ms O’Garro”, adding: “You were directing that dog to bite Ms O’Garro.”
Ms Boyea said this was incorrect.
Mr Bergenthal added: “You continued to assault Ms O’Garro whilst she was on the ground, punching and stamping on her”.
He said that at the same time “you were commanding your security dog to bite Ms O’Garro, and bite your dog did, several times.”
Ms Boyea said “at no point did I throw punches or attack her or release the dog from the boot”.
Mr Bergenthal suggested that Ms Boyea called Ms Hussein before the police because she wanted “back up”.
Ms Boyea said she was getting attacked by two people and knew her then-partner would get there sooner.
I will never be able to continue in that line of work again— Chante Boyea
She called Ms Hussein at 5.06am and the police at 5.08am, the court heard.
Mr Bergenthal suggested that the bite to Ms Boyea’s hand was from the dog and not O’Garro, she denied this.
Ms Boyea said she suffered nerve damage to her left hand and can no longer fulfil her role as a dog trainer because she cannot hold a dog securely.
“I will never be able to continue in that line of work again,” she said.
Doctors notes referenced her left hand being injured but not nerve damage specifically, Mr Bergenthal told the court.
The trial continues.
