Former X Factor contestant Gabrielle Carrington has pleaded not guilty to murdering influencer Klaudia Zakrzewska following an alleged road rage incident in London’s Soho district on April 19, according to reports from BBC,The Independent and People.
Gabrielle Carrington murder charge: former X Factor star pleads not guilty.
Carrington, who appeared on the U.K. edition of The X Factor in 2013 as a member of the group Miss Dynamix, is accused of driving into Zakrzewska before allegedly striking security guard Anoush Chyche during the incident.
According to The Independent, Carrington appeared at the Old Bailey via video link from Bronzefield prison on Aug. 3. Wearing a low-cut black outfit with her long black hair pulled back, the former X Factor finalist denied murdering the social media influencer by allegedly running her over with a car in central London.
Carrington was not represented by a barrister during the hearing and addressed the court herself. When Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC asked whether she was prepared to proceed without legal representation, Carrington said she did not want to represent herself “for the foreseeable.”
However, she added, “As I’m not represented, I am happy to give a plea today even though I am not represented.”
She pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and a second charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent against security guard Anoush Chyche. She was not asked to enter a plea on a separate charge of driving with excess alcohol.
Discussing her decision regarding legal representation at trial, Carrington told the court, “This is my life. This is the toughest decision I have to make.”
Judge Whitehouse confirmed that Carrington’s trial will begin at the Old Bailey on Jan. 5. Additional pre-trial hearings have been scheduled for Aug. 11 and Oct. 9.
According to the BBC, Carrington was initially charged with attempted murder. The charge was later upgraded to murder after Zakrzewska died in the hospital six days after the incident.
Family members of the victims reportedly shook their heads as Carrington entered her not guilty pleas. During the hearing, she appeared emotional on the video link, wiping tears from her face before being remanded into custody.
Gabrielle Carrington alleged murder incident: What happened to Klaudia Zakrzewska?
Prosecutors allege that Carrington, of Manchester, struck Zakrzewska outside the Inca nightclub on Argyll Street in Soho at about 4:30 a.m. BST on April 19.
The court heard that Carrington allegedly arrived in her car before becoming involved in a heated argument with a man after getting out of the vehicle. As more people gathered, security staff stepped in to intervene.
Prosecutors allege Carrington then returned to her car and drove away, mounting the pavement and striking Zakrzewska. The vehicle allegedly continued forward and hit security guard Anoush Chyche before reversing, leaving Zakrzewska trapped underneath the car.
Zakrzewska died in the hospital six days later, according to People. Chyche, who is in his 50s, suffered what prosecutors described as “life-changing injuries.”
Zakrzewska, who was in her 30s, was a TikTok and Instagram influencer known online as Klaudiaglam. She was a model for FashionNova, according to her account.
