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US police question British LGBT YouTube star's assault claim

A British LGBT YouTube star who said he was assaulted outside a Los Angeles gay bar is facing a criminal charge of making a false police report, the authorities said Wednesday.

Calum McSwiggan, 26, of London had called police early Monday claiming he had been beaten up by three men outside a well-known gay bar in West Hollywood.

However, police officers who responded at the scene said they were unable to substantiate the assault and that McSwiggan "had no visible injuries."

He was arrested after he allegedly began vandalizing a car.

After McSwiggan was booked and placed in a cell by himself, he was seen injuring himself with the handle and receiver of a payphone inside the cell, the West Hollywood police department said in a statement.

He was rushed to a hospital for treatment and later posted a picture of himself on Instagram in a hospital gown with a bandage on his head.

McSwiggan insisted he did not lie about the assault in a message posted on his Twitter account Wednesday.

"To reiterate, I did not fake this attack and am absolutely appalled that anyone would suggest or think that I did," he wrote.

He elaborated on the incident in a Facebook posting, saying that he required six stitches from his self-inflicted head injury and had suffered broken teeth as well as cuts and bruises in the alleged attack.

"I'm heartbroken about the events and these have been the worst few days of my life," he said.

"Many people are trying to discredit my story but this is the full and entire truth. Just because there were no visible marks on my face does not mean I was not attacked. Being accused of being a liar and being called a disgrace to the LGBT+ community, a community I've dedicated my life to, is more painful than any hate crime could ever be."

McSwiggan faces up to a year in jail if convicted of making a false police report. He is due back in court on July 19.




 

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