Boy George has been sent to jail for 15 months after being convicted of chaining Audun Carlsen, 29, to a wall and beating him. Legal experts had predicted the Culture Club star would get community service or a ‘short, sharp shock’ sentence of two to three months, however Judge Radford was unsympathetic to the explanation of George’s lawyers, who claimed his behaviour was caused by drugs.

“Whilst I accept that Mr Carlsen’s physical injuries were not serious or permanent, in my view there can be no doubt that your premeditated callous and humiliating handcuffing and detention of Mr Carlsen shocked, degraded and traumatised him,” said the Judge. “He was deprived of his liberty and human dignity without warning or proper explanation to him of its purpose, length or purported justification.” (The Guardian)

The sentence is likely to have an immediate impact on release plans for George’s Koolwaters compilation 365, which would have been his first since 2001. “Sorry about the delay in the release of this title,” a statement released on his website read. “This is due to George’s court case and whether or not he be available to promote this album on release. Further news soon!”