'EastEnders' actor Katie Jarvis in court on charges of assault and racially aggravated harassment
EastEnders star Katie Jarvis allegedly yelled “Black lives don’t matter” as she went on a seaside rampage, a court was told.
The actor – who is known for playing Hayley Slater on the BBC soap – is facing charges of assault, racially aggravated harassment, using threatening words or behaviour, assault by beating a woman and assault by beating an 11-year-old girl.
The 29-year-old appeared at Southend Magistrates' Court this week and indicated that she would plead not guilty.
Watch: EastEnders Soap Scoop! Isaac becomes curious over his brother
Read more: Grange Hill's Zammo cameos in EastEnders
Jarvis, who joined the cast of EastEnders in 2018, is accused of being involved in a series of incidents in Southend-on-Sea in July last year.
She is alleged to have shouted "Black lives don't matter" and "I was on EastEnders, I am a celebrity”.
Prosecutor Ashley Petchey said: "Over the course of three hours, she has committed racially aggravated offences on a number of different people."
He said Jarvis got into an altercation with four women outside a seafront bar.
Later, she is said to have hurled abuse outside a takeaway and then when she was refused entry to a seafront hotel became abusive before slapping an 11-year-old girl, the court was told.
Tahmina Majid, representing Jarvis, told the court that she intended to plead not guilty to the charges and that she was the victim, acting in self-defence.
She said: "She is a victim abused and attacked and that she acted in self-defence in relation to all the charges."
Jarvis, of Rainham, Essex, will next appear in court on 13 May.
Read more: Katie Jarvis: I need to stand up for working class people against job shaming
District Judge Timothy King allocated her case to Basildon Crown Court.
Read more: Danniella Westbrook turned down by Aldi after 'begging for a job'
