- Kamahl accused of harassing woman
- Popular musician will fight the accusation
Popular musician Kamahl has asked to have his charges dismissed on mental health grounds after being accused of bullying a woman 50 years his junior.
Police allege the 89-year-old artist, whose real name is Kandiah Kamalesvaran, sent threatening text messages to a 38-year-old woman to whom he had lent money.
Kamahl told Nine News he had met the woman in May 2023 and agreed to lend her $2000 for a deal she agreed to pay in $5 installments.
A dispute allegedly arose when she used a derogatory epithet in the description of their transaction, prompting a flurry of text messages between the woman and Kamahl.
He was accused of harassment with intent to cause fear and the woman requested an arrest warrant for violence against him.
Popular musician Kamahl has asked for charges to be dismissed on mental health grounds after being accused of bullying a woman 50 years his junior.
The veteran entertainer’s lawyer, Bobby Hill, appeared at Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday, where he anticipated a section 14 application to dismiss the charge on the grounds of his client’s mental health.
He told the court there was a “vast amount of medical material” that needed to be considered during the mental health hearing, which was set for October 14.
The mental health application hearing is expected to last less than half an hour.
If the mental health application is unsuccessful, Hill told the court the singer would plead not guilty to the intimidation charge.
The court heard the hearing would take place on November 25 and last two hours.
In 2021, he announced that he had separated from his wife after 55 years of marriage (pictured, Kamahl with his ex-wife Sahodra)
Kamahl has been a mainstay of the Australian music scene for the past six decades, with frequent guest appearances on Hey Hey It’s Saturday and international hits such as Sounds of Goodbye and The Elephant Song.
In 2021, he announced that he had separated from his wife after 55 years of marriage. In an interview, the singer attributed the split to his prolific use of X (formerly Twitter).
However, Kamahl appears to have deleted her profile on the social media platform since the harassment allegations became public.