BBC Information, reporting from courtroom in New York Metropolis
Jane Rosenberg /ReutersAn unique dancer referred to as The Punisher found his consumer’s id when he turned on a lodge tv earlier than an encounter and the display mentioned, “Welcome Sean Combs”.
Sharay Hayes testified on the hip-hop mogul’s sex-trafficking trial that he was employed to create “attractive, erotic scenes” with Combs’ then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura whereas a unadorned man watched from the nook.
However he didn’t realise at first that the person was Mr Combs. That modified when Mr Hayes was ready for his shoppers in a luxurious lodge suite and noticed his title on the tv’s welcome display.
Mr Combs, 55, has pleaded not responsible to racketeering, intercourse trafficking and transportation to have interaction in prostitution.
Warning: Readers might discover some particulars distressing
Mr Hayes testified in a New York courtroom on Tuesday about his first assembly with the couple. He was “particularly informed to not acknowledge” the person within the room and he mentioned Combs wore a veil over his face.
At a lodge room in Trump Tower on Central Park West, Ms Ventura greeted him on the door sporting a shower gown, Mr Hayes mentioned.
Contained in the room, the furnishings was lined in sheets and there have been “little bowls” on the ground with bottles of child oil.
He described eight to 12 encounters he allegedly had with Ms Ventura whereas Combs watched and gave instructions. The instructions included adjusting candles and instructing the 2 to have intercourse, Mr Hayes mentioned.
Generally, Ms Ventura would “wince or sigh” on the mogul’s ideas, he mentioned. Different occasions, she would look to Mr Combs for “consent” for sure actions, he added.
Mr Hayes’ testimony comes after testimony final week from Daniel Phillip, who additionally claimed he was paid to have intercourse with Ms Ventura whereas Mr Combs watched.
Cassie’s mom took pictures of daughter’s accidents
Additionally on Tuesday, the courtroom heard from Regina Ventura, the mom of R&B singer Cassie.
An electronic mail from Ms Ventura to her mom dated 23 December, 2011 was proven as proof. In it, she wrote that Mr Combs had made threats in the direction of her, and that he would “launch 2 specific intercourse tapes of me”.
The e-mail additionally mentioned Mr Combs had informed Ms Ventura he could be “having somebody damage me” and “he made a degree that it would not be by his palms, he truly mentioned he’d be in another country when it occurred”.
After the e-mail was proven in courtroom, Ms Ventura’s mom recognized a number of photos of her daughter taken in her household dwelling in Connecticut across the identical time.
They present bruises throughout Ms Ventura’s higher and decrease again, and her leg.
Ms Ventura’s mom alleged the bruises have been from being her being “overwhelmed by Sean Combs”.
US Federal CourtroomShe additionally testified that Mr Combs allegedly demanded $20,000, as a result of “he was offended that he had spent cash” on Ms Ventura.
Ms Ventura’s mom testified that she took out a mortgage together with her husband and despatched the cash to an account as directed by Mr Combs’ “bookkeeper”.
“I used to be scared for my daughter’s security,” Ms Ventura informed the courtroom, including that she felt she needed to pay “as a result of he demanded it”.
The cash then reappeared of their account about 4 days later, Ms Ventura alleged. There was no communication about its return.
Earlier on Tuesday, the defence vigourously cross-examined a former private assistant of Mr Combs and identified some inconsistencies within the variations of occasions he had beforehand informed the federal government.
The trial is predicted to final a number of weeks and Mr Combs may face a life sentence if discovered responsible.
Computerized rifles with enhancements seized from Miami mansion
The final witness of the day was Homeland Safety particular agent Gerard Gannon, who led the raid of Mr Combs’ Miami mansion in March 2024.
He offered to the jury a few of the issues he discovered on the 20,000-square-foot (1,860 sq meters) property, together with semiautomatic AR15 rifles, magazines loaded with bullets, lingerie, child oil and platform excessive heels.
The rifles, designed to fireplace at a excessive fee, have been enhanced with issues like “purple dot optics”, used for precision capturing – not a standard characteristic within the rifles.
Firearm serial numbers, used to trace the weapon from the producer to the proprietor, allegedly have been minimize out of two of the weapons. Mr Gannon additionally talked about that one among Mr Combs’ 30-bullet journal solely had 19 bullets inside when it was discovered.
Testimony on Wednesday will choose up with Gannon.
The courtroom is predicted to listen to Wednesday or Thursday from the rapper Scott Mescudi, generally known as Child Cudi, who dated Cassie in 2011. Mescudi’s title has surfaced repeatedly throughout the trial, which started earlier this month, primarily in reference to accusations that Combs allegedly blew up his automotive out of jealousy.
