Details have finally been released in the criminal case of Amy Winehouse’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil. Blake has been on trial for assault and perverting the course of justice (akin to witness tampering here in the states). Last week he copped a plea, but it couldn’t be released until this week, due to some stipulations put on the media by the judge.

It’s now been learned that Blake Fielder-Civil and friend Michael Brown tried to bribe pub landlord James King with approximately $400,000 after they assaulted King. It appears they beat him up in June of 2006 due to something relating to a woman: Brown used to date one of King’s friends. Fielder-Civil and Brown attacked King around closing time at the bar, and kicked him repeatedly.

Using two middle men, they offered King £200,000 to withdraw the charges, refuse to testify, and leave the country so that he couldn’t be forced into court. One of the middle men and King brought the plan to the Daily Mirror, trying to sell their story (after they’d already extended the bribe, and King had accepted). The Daily Mirror – being remarkably scrupulous – reported what they’d learned to the police, which launched the investigation. King clearly isn’t that bright, since by going to the Daily Mirror, he alerted police to his illegal activities all on his own.

But the plot was exposed when King and Kelly contacted the Daily Mirror in an attempt to sell their story – and staff informed the police. Kelly claimed that Miss Winehouse, a Grammy Award winner, was effectively funding the bribe, the court heard.

…King, who is being tried for conspiring to pervert the course of justice, said he would ‘effectively throw the case and not turn up’, so that Fielder-Civil and Brown would not face prosecution, Snaresbrook Crown Court, in East London, heard.

When they met journalist Stephen Moyes, in October 2007, he asked if Amy Winehouse was involved in the plot. ‘He was told by Kelly, “Who do you think is paying for it? Of course she is”,’ Mr Larkin said.

But there was no evidence she was part of the conspiracy. King claimed that he was ‘hounded’ by people to stop the case from going to court and suggested money was coming from Amy Winehouse to ‘make this go away’, the jury was told.

[From the Daily Mail]

It’s hard to believe that Amy Winehouse wasn’t involved in this in some way. Where else would Blake Fielder-Civil possibly get money like that? I’m not saying it was Amy’s idea, but I doubt even she would hand over that amount of money without asking what is was for. Police did investigate her involvement, but for whatever reason decided not to charge her. But it sounds like it’s pretty clear that she had something to do with the witness tampering all along.

Here’s Amy Winehouse briefly leaving her London home to hand out ice pops to fans and photographers today. Images thanks to WENN.