Heath Ledger's uncle defends assault charge in court

By Chris Thomson
Updated November 5 2012 - 9:29pm, first published November 6 2009 - 3:41am

An uncle of the late Heath Ledger defended an assault charge, amid claims he interfered with witnesses, in the Australian film star's home city of Perth today.Haydn Charles Ledger, 53 of the north-eastern Perth suburb of Woodbridge, pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Giuseppe Cicchini to one count of common assault.Neither Ledger nor his lawyer appeared in Perth Magistrates Court today, but police prosecutor Adam Oswald said Ledger intended to call four witnesses.Senior Constable Oswald recommended Magistrate Cicchini adjourn the case so that Ledger's lawyer might attend."There is an allegation of interference with witnesses that I was going to talk to him about today," Senior Constable Oswald said.He added he would call four witnesses of his own.Magistrate Cicchini adjourned the case until January next year.Ledger is the brother of Heath Ledger's father Kim.In the wake of Heath's death last year, his uncle controversially claimed the famous actor may have fathered a child before partner Michelle Williams gave birth to their daughter Matilda.He had said that when Heath was 17 he had an affair with an older woman who was thought to have discovered she was pregnant after their relationship ended.

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