Gibson charged with assault

Los Angeles prosecutors tonight charged Mel Gibson with “misdemeanour battery” – assault – stemming from a January 2010 fight involving his then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.

The Academy Award-winner was charged over the incident involving the Russian musician.

A person familiar with the case says Gibson will accept a plea deal.

Gibson is not expected to serve any time in jail.

His lawyer, Blair Berk, has said Gibson pursued a plea agreement with his children in mind. He has an infant daughter with Grigorieva.

“Mel’s priority throughout all of this has been that the best interests of his young daughter Lucia and the rest of his children be put first in any decisions made,” Berk said in a statement.

“It is with only that in mind that he asked me to approach the district attorney with a proposal that would bring all of this to an immediate end.”

The charge is another blow to the reputation of Gibson, 55, which took a major hit after his 2006 arrest for drink driving. A deputy’s report leaked to the celebrity website TMZ revealed Gibson had hurled anti-Semitic and sexist slurs.

His conviction was later expunged.

Recordings leaked last year during his custody battle with Grigorieva appeared to contain the actor using racist and sexist taunts during several tirades.

Gibson has never addressed the recordings, which were given to sheriff’s investigators and widely circulated by the celebrity website RadarOnline.