The Vines Frontman Arrested For Assaulting Parents

NME is reporting that Vines front man Craig Nicholls has been arrested for assaulting his parents. The singer, aged 35 has been charged with five offences, including domestic assault, after an altercation at his parents’ house in Sydney. Nicholls is alleged to have punched his mother twice in the head before trying to run away from police.

The singer was then apprehended using pepper spray, with one officer reportedly being injured in the process. As well as domestic assault, he has been charged with stalking or intimidation, resisting arrest and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Craig Nicholls suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, and his battles with the condition have been high profile. The Vines was forced to shelve their tour dates in 2008 because his mental condition had “deteriorated extremely rapidly”. Nicholls had previously faced court charges in the mid 2000’s after he kicked one of the band’s official photographers during an appearance on Triple M Radio. Charges against the singer were dropped because of the Asperger’s diagnosis on the condition that he seek immediate treatment.

As of 2011, Nicholls has been the only consistent member of the group, with former members Ryan Griffiths and Hamish Rosser having been sacked before a performance at Homebake music festival. While bassist Brad Heald has yet to confirm his departure, the band’s Facebook page changed its profile picture on March 30th 2012 to a promotional image of Nicholls, implying the he is now the sole member of The Vines. It has also been announced that the band entered the studio to record their sixth album in August of this year. How Nicholls’ court case will affect the sessions remains to be seen.