Coldplay frontman charged over attack on photographer's car

Coldplay singer Chris Martin has been charged in Australia with malicious damage after allegedly losing his temper and smashing the windscreen of a photographer’s car, police confirmed today.

Just hours before the band’s headline performance at Sydney’s Splendour In The Grass festival, Martin was interviewed by police after being reported by photographer Jon Lister, who had snapped him surfing at Seven Mile Beach in Byron Bay.

“It is alleged that at the conclusion of that surfing session the gentleman approached the journalist in regard to the taking of photographs,” said Byron Bay police spokesman Insp Greg Carey.

“A short time later the journalist has returned to his motor vehicle where he has seen the person smashing his windscreen and letting the air out of his tyres.

“That journalist attended the Byron Bay police station where he reported the matter.

“At 5pm that afternoon, police interviewed the gentleman where he admitted he had lost his temper due to the constant harassment by that journalist and consequently smashed his windscreen and let the air out of his tyres.”

Martin has been issued with a court attendance notice to appear an the Byron Bay local court on October 8.

Given that Martin may not be in Australia in October, police confirmed there were procedures in place for him to be legally represented in his absence.

There was no immediate comment from Coldplay’s record company in Australia, EMI, and Martin made no reference to the incident during the band’s hour-long set at the festival.

It is not the first time one of Britain’s leading rock stars has been caught up in trouble in Australia.

Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher was charged with assault for allegedly breaking the nose of a British backpacker while in Queensland in 1998.

The charges were later dropped but the backpacker reached a settlement with Gallagher.

Martin is a far more reserved individual than the Oasis frontman but has had to deal with ever increasing intrusion into his personal life as Coldplay’s success grew and he became engaged to Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

With Paltrow in tow, Coldplay are playing tonight at the first of two sold-out shows at Sydney’s Horden Pavilion before heading off to Auckland and concluding their world tour at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.