Prosecutors give closing arguments in Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial

Sean "Diddy" Combs led a transgression endeavor for 2 decades, utilizing "power, unit and fear" to transportation retired brutal crimes, believing his "fame, wealthiness and power" enactment him supra the law, a authoritative has told his trial.

Christy Slavik spoke for astir 5 hours, arsenic she presented the prosecution's closing arguments aft much than six weeks of grounds and 34 witnesses.

She began by describing the 55-year-old euphony mogul, telling the court: "He's the person of a transgression enterprise. He doesn't instrumentality 'no' for an answer. And present you cognize astir galore crimes helium committed with members of his enterprise."

She said charges of enactment trafficking and racketeering conspiracy were supported by impervious that implicit 2 decades, Combs kidnapped 1 of his employees, committed arson by trying to stroke up chap rapper Kid Cudi's car, engaged successful forced labour, bribed a information serviceman and carried retired the "brutal crimes astatine the bosom of this case."

Diddy trial: As it happened

Ms Slavik said Combs "again and again forced, threatened and manipulated" his erstwhile girlfriend, Cassie Ventura and an ex-girlfriend who testified nether the pseudonym Jane into drugged-up, elaborate intersexual performances, dubbed "freak offs" oregon "hotel" oregon "king nights".

"The suspect utilized power, unit and fearfulness to get what helium wanted," she said. "He thought that his fame, wealthiness and powerfulness enactment him supra the law."

Combs is charged with 1 number of racketeering conspiracy, 2 charges of enactment trafficking, and 2 charges of proscription to prosecute successful prostitution.

He has pleaded not blameworthy to each charges and has strenuously denied each allegations of intersexual abuse.

Read more:
Everything you request to cognize astir the trial
The emergence and autumn of Sean 'Diddy' Combs
What we learned from Cassie's testimony

Ms Slavik said Combs utilized a "small army" of employees - his trusted interior ellipse of unit including bodyguards and assistants - to "serve his needs," covering up his harm to women successful the process.

Homing successful connected the racketeering complaint against him, she said, portion Combs was already "very powerful", helium became adjacent much truthful with the enactment of his business.

She said Combs and his interior ellipse "committed hundreds of racketeering acts," including cause distribution, kidnapping, arson and witnesser tampering.

They listed drugs specified arsenic cocaine, meth, ketamine, Oxycodone and MDMA, that Combs's assistants said they procured for him, oregon that national agents said they recovered during raids of his aggregate homes.

During parts of the evidence, Combs looked dejected, sitting with his caput down, and with his seat pushed backmost from the defence table. At 1 point, erstwhile video footage of Combs appearing to bushed Cassie astatine the InterContinental Hotel was shown to the court, helium looked away.

Combs has been successful a New York jailhouse since his apprehension successful September past year. If convicted connected each counts, helium could look a minimum 15-year situation word and could beryllium sentenced to beingness down bars.

The 12-member assemblage indispensable beryllium unanimous to convict Combs connected immoderate of the counts.

Defence lawyers person conceded that Combs was progressive successful home unit but accidental helium committed nary national crimes.

They accidental the women took portion successful the "freak offs" willingly and that determination was nary racketeering conspiracy due to the fact that nary of his employees agreed to beryllium portion of immoderate conspiracy. They accidental the drugs procured were for his ain idiosyncratic use.

But successful her closing argument, Ms Slavik said employees repeatedly agreed to perpetrate crimes for Combs, specified arsenic delivering him drugs, accompanying him to kidnap his idiosyncratic assistant, Capricorn Clark, and locking his woman successful a edifice country aft helium stomped connected her face.

In her conclusion, she said impervious of Combs's guilt had been demonstrated, adding: "Before today, helium was capable to get distant with it owed to his money, powerfulness and influence, but that stops now…

"It is clip to clasp him accountable, it is clip for justice, and it's clip to find him guilty."

On Friday, Combs's pb lawyer Marc Agnifilo volition springiness his closing argument, followed by the government's rebuttal.

Judge Arun Subramanian says helium volition instruct the assemblage connected the instrumentality aboriginal that day, allowing them to statesman deliberating arsenic aboriginal arsenic precocious afternoon.

The proceedings continues.