Court fine for Michael Jackson's ex-bodyguard

One of Michael Jackson's former bodyguards, from North Devon, has been fined for issuing fake court summons.

Martial arts magnate Matt Fiddes, from Barnstaple, admitted one charge of delivering a copy of a paper falsely purporting to be a county court summons at a hearing at Exeter Crown Court last month. The offence arose at a time when he was acting in divorce proceedings, the court was told.

Michael Jackson and his bodyguard Matt Fiddes (left) who was sentenced yesterday for issuing a fake court summons

He was handed a £750 fine, and ordered to pay £1,200 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Judge Francis Gilbert QC said: "You would have saved yourself a lot of the trouble if you had admitted what you did at the start."

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The court heard that doubts over the authenticity of the papers were raised because they were issued to another man without the customary court stamp.

"It was rather a stupid thing to have done," the judge said as he handed down the penalty.

The 33-year-old had worked as a minder for the King of Pop in the past and had been friends with members of the Jackson family before a separate court dispute. The defendant is also a former celebrity trainer to Australian singer Peter Andre and British model Danielle Lloyd.