Court appearance for 'comedy terrorist'

Barschak pleaded not guilty

The comedian who gatecrashed Prince William's 21st birthday party has appeared in court accused of deliberately damaging a painting.

Aaron Barschak, 37, faced a charge of criminal damage when he appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The charge relates to an incident when he allegedly threw red paint over a Turner Prize-nominated painting, a few weeks before the prince's African-themed royal party at Windsor Castle in June.

It is alleged Barschak, of Golders Green, north London, deliberately caused damage to the painting by brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman at the Modern Art Oxford gallery on 30 May this year.

The painting was an adaptation of a work by Spanish artist Goya about the destruction of war.

No charge for gatecrashing

Damage of just under £1,000 was also caused to the floor and walls of the gallery, the court was told.

Barschak gave a plea of not guilty and the case was adjourned for a one-day trial to take place on October 30 at Oxford Magistrates' Court.

The self-styled "comedy terrorist" was told on Monday that he would face no charges for getting into the prince's exclusive party at Windsor Castle, dressed as Osama bin Laden.

Barschak said he was "very relieved" not to have been charged over the Windsor Castle incident.

"We live in a very tolerant society, in any other country in the world I would probably not have got away with that," he said.

Barschak said the stunt was to promote his show, Osama Like It Hot, which is due to run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.