Shamed ex-Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan marries girlfriend he attacked 16 months after booze-fuelled assault
KASABIAN’s disgraced former frontman Tom Meighan has married girlfriend Vikki Ager in an “intimate” ceremony less than two years after he pleaded guilty to attacking her.
The musician was kicked out of the Leicester-based band after two decades when he admitted the brutal booze-fuelled assault on Ms Ager last year.
CCTV showed him hitting ex-fiancee Ms Ager and then dragging her by the ankles into the back garden of their home.
Meighan also threw his partner of four years across a room and into a hamster cage before threatening her with a wooden pallet during the “sustained attack”.
Yet it appears the couple have put aside their troubles to embark on a fresh start, beginning with the decision to say I Do.
WEDDING BELLS
A spokesperson for the couple said: “We are pleased to share the news that on Tuesday the 13th July 2021, Tom Meighan and Vikki Ager were married at Market Harbourgh Registry Office, Leicester.
“It was an intimate affair, in accordance with the latest Covid-19 guidelines, with the couple becoming husband and wife surrounded by their children, family and a few close friends.
“Tom has worked so hard on himself, his health, family unit and his relationship with Vicki over the past year.
“They are very much in love and looking forward to sharing the rest of their lives together.”
Previously speaking about the incident alongside Ms Ager to Cornwall Live, Meighan claimed he can’t remember parts of the attack and was suffering from alcohol addiction at the time.
“Tom has worked so hard on himself, his health, family unit and his relationship with Vicki over the past year.
A spokesperson for the couple
He said: “We had too much to drink. I regret everything that happened that night – what I can remember of it.
“I don’t condone it – it’s horrific. I love my partner to pieces.
“I was at a boiling point in my life – I didn’t know where things were heading. I was drowning myself with drink because of my problems and things going on around me.
“We had a fight and I took the brunt for it. I was fully responsible for what happened but we love each other and we’re getting over it.”
Meighan described the attack and the court appearance as the “lowest point of my life” adding “I felt like I’d died on the day of the court case”.
Meighan avoided jail after District Judge Nick Watson ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
After the attack he checked into rehab to get help for his alcohol addiction.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, where you call 999 and press ‘55’ if you can’t safely speak.
- Always keep some money or a bank card on you, including change in case you need a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to move towards an exit if you are inside the house and get your phone in case you need to call for help.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other potential weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available every day from 10am-6pm or email helpline@womensaid.org.uk
SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
After sentencing last July, the band issued a statement saying: “As soon as we found out about the charges against Tom, we as a band made the decision we could no longer work with him.”
After he left Kasabian in July, his ex-bandmates ensured he won’t continue to profit from the band, by booting him out of their lucrative companies.
It means Meighan who was the group’s frontman for two decades, will no longer make money from ticket or merchandise sales.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, go to www.womensaid.org.uk for help and support