The News Boy George Fabulous

Boy George has said he refused to give evidence at his trial for false imprisonment to spare his dying mum the heartache.

The 47-year-old was found guilty last month of handcuffing a male escort to a radiator and beating him with a chain during a drug-fuelled photoshoot.

He now fears that when he is sentenced he will be jailed, but told his family he'd rather serve time than have caused Dinah O'Dowd – with whom he has a close relationship – any further pain.

His brother David said the troubled star told him: “I know the likelihood is I'm going to prison, but I couldn't do it for mum's sake. She's dying.

“The only reason I didn't give evidence was for her. She's been through too much in her life already.” George, real name George O'Dowd, will appear at Snaresbrook crown court today to learn whether he will be jailed for holding male escort Audun Carlsen in his East London flat in 2007.

The maximum term for the offence is life.

The former Culture Club frontman claimed he detained Norwegian Carlsen because he suspected he had stolen photos from his laptop and wanted to check the computer.

‘INNOCENT'

David claimed he told him: “He is stitching me up because of the money he knows he can make.

“I'll probably get sent down for this even though I'm innocent.

“But that doesn't matter. What matters is I'm clean and I'm sober. The only reason I didn't give evidence in court was because I didn't want put Mum through any more pain.”

In 2007 Dinah, 70, wrote a book called Cry Salty Tears about the 40 years of abuse she suffered at the hands of George's dad, Gerry.

At the time she said in an interview: “Georgie has been my best friend over the years. When Gerry raised his hand to me, Georgie was often there to stop him.”

George is also close to brother David, who in 1986 revealed the singer's heroin addiction to a tabloid newspaper in a bid to shame him into giving up drugs.

David said: “If he goes to prison, he goes to prison. But I'll stand by him because he's my brother and I love him to bits.”

George rose to fame in the 80s with Culture Club, had a solo career and then established himself as a successful DJ.

His early success was blighted by his drug addiction, with concerns that he may even die from his heroin habit.

There have been further concerns for his health of late after he was seen looking tired and bloated.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/2009/01/16/boy-george-i-ll-go-to-prison-to-save-my-dying-mum-115875-21044295/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1118962/Boy-George-I-didnt-evidence-spare-dying-mum.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/4243405/Boy-George-looks-bloated-and-ill-ahead-of-sentencing.html

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