Former X Factor finalist Gabrielle Carrington denies murder over death of London influencer
X Factor finalist Gabrielle Carrington has denied murdering social media influencer Klaudia Zakrzewska after an alleged car attack outside a Soho nigh...
Former X Factor finalist Gabrielle Carrington has denied murdering social media influencer Klaudia Zakrzewska after an alleged car attack outside a Soho nightclub in central London. The 29-year-old answered the charge by video link from prison on Monday, setting up a trial now fixed for January.
Carrington, from Manchester, appeared at the Old Bailey from Bronzefield prison and also denied a separate charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to security guard Anoush Chyche. She was not asked to enter a plea on a third count of driving with excess alcohol.
Hearings at the Old Bailey
Zakrzewska was allegedly struck outside Inca nightclub in Argyll Street at about 04:30 BST on 19 April. Prosecutors say Carrington initially faced attempted murder allegations, but the charge was changed to murder after Zakrzewska died from her injuries six days later.
Carrington appeared emotional during the hearing, wiping tears from her face as she read out her pleas. Family members of the victims shook their heads in court. Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC confirmed the case will return to the same court from 5 January.
What prosecutors allege
According to the account set out in court reports, Carrington arrived in Argyll Street by car and an argument with a man escalated outside the nightclub. Security guard Chyche is said to have been injured when he tried to intervene. The dispute unfolded in Soho, one of London’s busiest nightlife districts, where late-night crowds and fast-moving traffic often collide with little margin for error.
The case has drawn attention well beyond Britain because Carrington is a former contestant on the U.K. version of The X Factor, where she performed with the girl group Miss Dynamix in 2013. For viewers outside the U.K., the route from pop TV to a murder courtroom is stark. And it leaves the January trial carrying both criminal and public interest.
After entering her pleas, Carrington was taken back into custody. The next major step comes when the Old Bailey begins hearing evidence in January.
