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Judge Order Britney Spears' Ex To Stand Trial On Stalking Charge After Crashing Wedding
A security guard for Britney Spears testified Monday that her ex-husband, Jason Alexander, made it up to her locked bedroom door, where she was getting ready for her wedding, before he was confronted by security.
Britney Spears' one-time husband will proceed to trial for felony stalking and other charges after allegedly trying to crash the pop star’s wedding earlier this month.
Ventura County Judge David Worley ruled Monday that there was enough evidence against Jason Alexander — who was married to Spears for 55 hours in 2004 before the marriage was annulled — to go to trial in the case, according to The Associated Press.
The 40-year-old is facing charges of felony stalking, trespassing, vandalism and battery after law enforcement officials say he managed to break into Spears’ Thousand Oaks, California home on June 9, while live streaming his attempt to crash the wedding on Instagram.
As part of the preliminary hearing on Monday, security guard Richard N. Eubeler testified that Alexander ran into the star’s home while he was in pursuit and made it upstairs to Spears’ locked bedroom door — where she had been getting ready for the nuptials — before he was confronted, according to Rolling Stone.
Eubeler testified that Alexander started “reaching into his right pocket,” while shouting for the singer.
“I drew my weapon and held it to my chest,” he said.
Alexander, who grew up with Spears in Louisiana, then allegedly ran into a nearby game room.
When Eubeler demanded that he leave the property, the security guard testified that Alexander allegedly said “F--- that, I’m going back the same way I came.” The guard said Alexander then broke the handle on a door knob.
Ventura County Sheriff Office Capt. Cameron Henderson previously told Oxygen.com that deputies took Alexander into custody shortly after 2:00 p.m. after an “altercation” with Spears' private security staff.
In court on Monday, Deputy Jose Torres said Alexander had been in possession of a “Gerber folding box cutter” when he was taken into custody, according to the magazine.
Eubeler testified that it wasn’t the first time Alexander had allegedly tried to gain access to the property. He was also spotted near the grounds on both May 28 and June 8 — which was one day before Spears wed her long-time boyfriend Sam Asghari in a fairy-tale themed wedding.
The commotion the day of the wedding had been deeply distressing to Spears.
“She was very upset and wanted everybody to leave the property,” Eubeler testified.
Det. Dylan Foley said on the stand that Spears had been so upset she and Asghari briefly left the property “to try to calm down.”
He said Spears' agent, Cade Hudson, described her as “distraught, crying, shaking [and] panicked” after she learned of the alleged attempt by Alexander to reach her.
Alexander’s attorney, Sandra Bisignani, had argued in court that her had never wanted to hurt his childhood friend and just wanted to check in on her.
“Mr. Alexander’s intent was to talk to Britney, to check on her wellbeing, to make sure that this was what she really wanted, not to place her in fear,” she said.
Worley found, however, that there was enough probable cause in the case to move forward with a trial.
“It’s been established that he appears to be a continuing threat given the efforts he went through to insert himself into this event,” the judge said, according to Rolling Stone.
Spears’ attorney Mathew Rosengart previously told Oxygen.com that he hoped Alexander would be “aggressively prosecuted and convicted.”
“This was an outrageous breach, which I am livid about, but fortunately Britney is completely safe and was a beautiful bride,” he said.
Alexander has pleaded not guilty and remains behind bars on a $100,000 bail, E! News reports.
