After claiming to be the victim of a hate crime outside a WeHo gay bar, LGBTQ and lifestyle Youtuber Calum McSwiggan has been charged with filing a false police report, according to the LA Times. Los Angeles County prosecutors say he lied to sheriff’s deputies when he told them he was beaten by three men early Monday morning.
The London resident has pleaded not guilty to charges of filing a false report. If found guilty, he could face up to 364 days in county jail.
McSwiggan posted a photo of himself in hospital gear to Instagram describing a horrific attack by three men. McSwiggan claimed that after going to the Hollywood gay bar, The Abbey, he was separated from his friends and assaulted–after which authorities treated him like a “second class citizen.”
Shortly after, authorities commented that McSwiggan was actually uninjured and that the Youtuber was seen pulling a rearview mirror off a car and scratching another car with the mirror. One of his friends added, in a statement to WEHOville, that the internet star “kept picking fights” and was “acting crazy.”
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McSwiggan was taken to the station for vandalism shortly after, where police report they observed him trying to harm himself.
McSwiggan posted an update on his Facebook last night, where he writes about his alleged attack and aftermath in detail. He doesn’t deny the vandalism charge, stating:
“In a moment of devastation, anger and blind rage I kicked the wing mirror of the attacker’s car until it broke and then ripped it off with my hands. I also scratched the front of the car with the broken wing mirror before returning back to The Abbey for help.”
After calling the police, McSwiggan writes, they did not believe he was attacked due to the lack of visible injuries on his face. On the report that he had tried to hurt himself he says:
“I took the pay phone off the wall and hit myself once across the forehead with it as hard as I could. I knew I had to injure myself to get out of the cell and into a hospital, and it was the only solution I could find to get myself out of there. This is incredibly out of character for me and is testament to how upset I was in that moment. I do not regret doing this as I could still be in the jail cell if I didn’t.”
He also states that he attended court yesterday, where “there was no record of my case on file” and they’re doing their best to resolve the issue.
“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 is scheduled to make another court appearance July 19.
