Caroline Flack pleads not guilty to assaulting boyfriend

Caroline Flack has pleaded not guilty to assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton.

The Love Island presenter, 40, was arrested and charged on 13 December, with assaulting the 27-year-old.

She appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court wearing a black coat, scarf and boots and was escorted into court by police.

Burton had arrived at court earlier, wearing a navy parka with a fur hood lining.

Ms Flack is charged with assaulting the former professional tennis player and model at her flat in Islington, north London, on 12 December.

She stood in front of the glass-enclosed dock to confirm her name, address, date of birth and that her nationality is British before the single charge was read out in court.

Ms Flack wiped her eyes as she sat down in front of a full public gallery, which included Mr Burton.

Flack answered “not guilty” when the charge was put to her.

Ms Weiss said the trial would use body-worn footage from the police officers at the scene and a 999 call.

She discussed the contents of the three-to four-minute call, adding: “He made an allegation regarding his girlfriend Caroline.

“The first police officer arrived some eight minutes later. He knocked on the door and it was opened by both of them.

“Both were covered in blood and in fact one of the police officers likened the scene to a horror movie”.

Her solicitor made an application to have a bail condition banning her from talking to her boyfriend lifted.

Mr Morris added: “They had been in a relationship all of this year and he appears in court today to support her and they remain a couple.

“She wants to spend time with her partner. If the conditions were lifted there would be no concerns.

“It’s not an irrelevant point, it’s Christmas, it’s New Year, she’s suffered enough.”

As he spoke, Flack began to cry into her hand – as he continued: “She is in the public eye – this case has been scrutinised, she will conduct herself properly”.

She put her head in her hands as the judge refused an application to remove bail conditions preventing her from contacting Burton directly or indirectly and from attending his address.

Burton also put his hand to his face, before the couple left the courtroom separately.

Ms Flack was released on conditional bail before her trial on 4 March, which is expected to last a day-and-a-half.

She stepped down as host of the upcoming winter series of Love Island following her arrest.

Irish TV presenter Laura Whitmore will replace her on the ITV2 dating show and the companion programme Aftersun when filming begins in South Africa next month.

In an emotional Instagram post on Sunday evening, Ms Flack wrote: “This is the worst time of my life.

“I don’t know where to go to. Where to look. Who to trust. Or who I even am”.