Britain’s Got Talent star ‘became friends with fan after youngster asked for autograph and then went round his house and was plied with booze’
A BRITAIN'S Got Talent finalist plied a teenage fan with alcohol after befriending him when the 15-year-old asked the star for an autograph, a court heard.
Leeroy Bailey, 36, was a member of dance troupe Kombat Breakers who lost out to opera singer Paul Potts in the 2007 final.
The youngster needed hospital treatment for alcohol poisoning after plying him with vodka and beer, a court has heard.
Bailey appeared at Warwick Crown Court today to stand trial for neglecting a child "in a manner likely to cause suffering or injury to health".
The court heard Bailey, of Coventry, invited the "vulnerable" boy, who has learning difficulties, to his flat to play on his game console when he gave him beer and vodka mixed together.
The youngster told the jury: "I became his friend after I asked for his autograph.
"Dancing was something I was interested in.
"I did go to one of his dance lessons and I paid him for it.
"He had not come off Britain's Got Talent and his group made it to the finals.
";He said I could give him a call any time or message him on Facebook.
"I just messaged him when I was bored.
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"I visited him at his flat.
"I usually did it when he had finished his dance lessons, that is when I went round to his flat.
"I had been round a few times before.
"It was something to do when I had nothing to do.
"He had an Xbox and I didn't and I liked to play on that.
"I had slept overnight at his before on the couch.
"He would offer me a drink as soon as I got in."
Giving evidence about the night Bailey is accused of plying the boy with alcohol, the teenager told the jury: "I look on him as a friend, he texted to say 'come round and watch TV'.
"I didn't have any alcohol before I went to Leeroy's because I was with my mum and my sister at the time.
"He (Bailey) offered me vodka and a can of Skol. He said 'why don't you try some of this vodka?'
"It was given to me in a shot glass and Leeroy poured it in the kitchen.
"I drank it all in one go.
"I hadn't had vodka before and it burnt the back of my throat, it was horrible, a nasty drink.
"I was offered more and he said the same thing as the first time he offered me some.
"I said no and he was like 'go on just try some'.
"I drank that one in one go too.
"It felt the same as the first one.
"It made me feel a bit dizzy.
"I have never drank Skol before and he poured half into a glass and he had the other half.
"It made me feel a bit sick and I couldn't stand up.
"Leeroy then offered me a biscuit.
"After, from drinking the vodka and can of Skol, I took off my tracksuit and threw up in the toilet.
"I was sick more than once.
"I felt like I had never felt before, I couldn't come off the toilet, I was just constantly sick.
"I told him to call the ambulance for me.
"I know I was taken to hospital and kept overnight and mum came to visit the next day."
The youngster added that he went to Bailey's flat after breaking up with his girlfriend.
He told the court: "I felt quite annoyed with the situation with the girl I had broken up with.
"Leeroy got me a bucket and the first time I was sick was in the bucket and then I moved to the toilet.
"Leeroy was trying to help me. He tried to stop me from being more sick.
"I don't think he has had anyone like that on his bathroom floor before.
"He went and called an ambulance after I told him to.
"He poured me the first shot and I poured myself the second.
"I spoke to my mum in hospital the next day and I thought I would be in trouble.
"I had been in trouble before when I stole alcohol and cookies from Tesco.
"I drank the alcohol after I left the shop.
In her evidence, the mother of the victim said: "Mr Bailey came to my house at ten to two in the morning to say my son had gone to hospital.
"He said he was already drunk when he got there but he wasn't drunk when he left my home.
"He said he had to call the ambulance for him because he was being sick.
"When he came round a second time he said 'I'm going to be honest with you I have given him the alcohol and I feel bad for doing it'."
Earlier, prosecutor Jonathan Eley said: "The allegation is that between January 31 and February 3 this defendant having responsibility for a 15-year-old exposed him in a manner that was likely to cause suffering or a damage to his health.
"Between February 1 and February 2 the victim attended this defendant's home address to either play on the PlayStation or watch a film, that sort of thing.
"There was only him and the defendant in the flat at the time.
"The prosecution says alcohol was supplied to the victim, the alcohol being vodka and beer mixed together.
"The victim was not used to drinking and he vomited and vomited until an ambulance was called.
"When the paramedics arrived he was found in his boxer shorts being sick in the bathroom.
"He had taken off his own tracksuit because he didn't want to get vomit on it.
"Paramedics were concerned and took him to hospital.
"He was found to be intoxicated.
"He was kept in hospital overnight and to check there were no problems with him ingesting alcohol.
"He encouraged him to have alcohol on a number of occasions.
"The defendant was arrested as a result of the police being made aware.
"The defendant said the victim attended the address already intoxicated.
"The mother of the victim says there was no alcohol and there was no drinking before he went to the defendant's house.
"The defendant then said there was alcohol in the fridge and the victim helped himself to the alcohol.
"It was a case of 'it is there help yourself.'
"In a nutshell, the prosecution say he supplied a 15-year-old with alcohol, spirits and beer, which led to vomiting which is not nice for anyone who has had to experience it.
"There is a condition which is known as alcohol poisoning which can lead to hospitalisation and that is unnecessary suffering.
"He wouldn't know what his limits were and could very easily have overdosed whilst in the care and responsibility of Leeroy Bailey.
"The victim had permission to be there but had to be back by six in the morning for school.
"The victim has learning difficulties and is a vulnerable young man."
Bailey denies the charge. The trial continues
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