The husband of the troubled singer Amy Winehouse has been arrested over an alleged £200,000 plot to fix a trial in which he is involved.

Blake Fielder-Civil was arrested and handcuffed by eight plain-clothes officers only days before he was due to stand trial on charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

He has been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

It is claimed that Mr Fielder-Civil and another man offered the alleged victim in the forthcoming trial £200,000 to change his story.

They are reported to have told him that he would be flown to Spain before the hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday in the hope that the trial would collapse.

The case was brought after James King, a barman, was assaulted at the Macbeth pub, in Hoxton, North London. Mr Fielder-Civil denies the charges.

Ms Winehouse hugged and kissed her husband and told him that she loved him before he was put into a police car and driven away. She said last night: “He’s told me he’s done nothing wrong and I believe him. Someone has set him up but whatever happens, I’ll be there for him.”

Officers, using a crowbar, had earlier smashed down the front door of the couple’s home in Camden, North London, but they were not there. Police, who had been tipped off about the alleged plot by a national newspaper, then spent several hours searching the premises.

The trial, which was due to start on Monday, may now be delayed.

Three other men have also been arrested and there is no suggestion that Ms Winehouse is involved.

The alleged plot was apparently caught on video by the national newspaper using covert cameras.

Perverting the course of justice carries a maximum sentence of life.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “Four men, two aged 25, one aged 22 and another aged 19, were arrested in connection with allegations of perverting the course of justice. They were arrested at addresses in East London and are now in custody at North London police stations.”

Scotland Yard later announced that a fifth man had been arrested in Derbyshire in connection with an allegation of perverting the course of justice.

Ms Winehouse, 24, started dating Mr Fielder-Civil, 25, a music video assistant, two years ago. Her family has been concerned recently as she has taken a downward spiral into depression and drugs. Her father has claimed that she did not use hard drugs until she was married.

In an interview, Mitch Winehouse said that he was not saying it was her husband’s fault because she was responsible for her own actions. Mr Winehouse said that his daughter had cut down her drinking in the past year but was still struggling with bulimia and drug addiction. The singer has had to appeal for a visa to enter the US after being arrested in Norway last month with her husband in connection with marijuana possession.

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