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Author Topic: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?  (Read 8675 times)

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Buttmunker

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George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« on: September 29, 2007, 02:20:42 AM »

the last I heard about this was in 2000 with this article: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/11-14-2000-1419.asp

George Harrison Stabbing Case Begins[/u]
The jury in the George Harrison stabbing case began hearing arguments that Harrison
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dirtyoldsod

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2007, 09:17:04 PM »

Eric Idle wrote about this incident in his Greedy Bastard Diary book, I've typed it out in case anyone is interested.
It goes into details about George and Olivia's experience, and also answers the "where is he now" question, which I find the answer to be utterly disgusting.

Enjoy.

Quote
When George was stabbed by an intruder in early 2000 the first I knew he was going to survive that terrible experience was the quote displayed on the BBC Web site. When the police asked him about the intent of the intruder he said, "Well, we wasn't auditioning for the Traveling Wilburys...". "Why doesn't this kind of thing happen to the Rolling Stones?" he asked me wryly on the phone with that brave Liverpuddlian humor. "Would you like me to come?" "Yes, please, Eric."
Tania and I immediately jumped on a plane and flew to stay with him and Olivia at their home in Oxfordshire. We were relieved to find them both home, battered and bruised, but alive. We could so easily have been flying for their funeral. George proudly showed me his seven stab wounds. Some were both entry and exit wounds where the kitchen knife had gone right through him. One had punctured and collapsed his lung, leaving George dangerously short of breath, with his lung filling up with blood as he lay on the floor, chanting. "I thought I was dead, Eric," he said. Carried out to the ambulance, covered in blood, he said to his appalled house managers, who had just started working for him, "So what do you think of the job so far?".

If you can imagine the ultimate nightmare, an armed intruder in your home at three thirty in the morning, breaking windows and screaming at you to come downstairs, you pretty much have the picture. "I wrestled hand to hand with the face of evil," said George, "for fifteen minutes."
Fifteen minutes is an awful long time to struggle for your life with a man with a seven-inch kitchen knife while receiving multiple stab wounds. Think of it, fifteen minutes of exhausting terror. "He came racing up the stairs, screaming dementedly," George told me. Having called the police, Olivia ran out with a poker to find her husband on the ground and a man attempting to kill him.  She bashed the intruder on the head fifteen times with the poker, but amazingly he was able to get up and turn on her. He knocked her over, and she lost the poker and retreated to their bedroom, where he followed her. Although stabbed by then, George was able to get up and go to her aid. At which point Olivia picked up a huge Tiffany lamp and began to bash the man about the head again. "It was like a movie," she said. "He wouldn't stop. There was blood everywhere. I kept yelling at him to stop, but he would just get up again."
He grabbed the cord of the lamp and came at her with it. "I thought he was going to strangle me," she said, and she ran downstairs. She knew there was another, heavier poker by the fireplace. He meanwhile picked up the Tiffany lamp and began to beat George with it. "I'd had it by then," said George. "I just tried to put my feet up and stop him."
But he took several more blows to the head. Then Olivia heard the man coming downstairs after her. She felt she could outrun him, but to her relief he suddenly collapsed on the stairs; his head wounds had finally caught up with him. He would receive twenty-two stitches in his head, a measure of the success of Olivia, and George, who to his great joy learned later he had managed to stab him in the ass. Right then, though, the battle was over. There were three totally exhausted combatants. George was lying upstairs desperately wounded, his lung filling with blood, chanting "Hare Krishna"; the intruder had collapsed on their balcony, and Olivia was sprawled at the foot of the stairs as the police entered. It was a scene from a horror movie. Blood was everywhere. Dahni, their son, was faced with this dreadful sight. He kept his father conscious during the long wait until the ambulance came. He will always be proud of his, but no son should have to face what he did.

By the time we got there they were back home from the hospital, patched up, but angry like all victims of violent crime, and in need of good friendship. Luckily they have that, for from all around the world, flowers and faxes poured into their home. We played guitar and sang and hugged him and were fortunate enough to be present for puja, where a Vedic priest performed a short ceremony to thank Shiva for their survival and to clear the lurking presence of evil from their home. Om shantih. We went upstairs and walked around the various sites where the violence occurred, which is where I lost it. Many of us were weeping. It was impossible to be with them at these places and hear them say "This is where it got really bad" without weeping. But after the ceremony even an old agnostic like myself felt cleansed. It is the power of ritual within us that is so important, and how wonderful to see George, Olivia, and Dahni receiving blessings. We felt very uplifted by their bravery, their honestly, and their grace in dealing with such an experience. And incredibly there were many laughs. Of course I don't suppose you'll laugh when you hear that the intruder was declared insane and unable to plead to counts of attempted murder. Nor will you smile when I tell you he was released from a mental institution after a couple years because he was "cured".
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harihead

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2007, 10:39:45 PM »

I have Idle's Greedy Bastard Diary as well, Dirtyoldsod. I bought it specifically for his recollections of George, which are scattered throughout and are sometimes funny, often moving. His account of the attack is horrific; George really downplayed it in the press. "No, I'm fine." I think they announced something like 2 stab wounds.

Dhani's testimony at the trial was also extremely upsetting for me to read. After all this, the authorities didn't even warn Dhani and Olivia (as they had requested) when the perp was set free. It just seemed an appalling situation all around.
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dirtyoldsod

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2007, 02:21:07 AM »

Quote from: 551
I have Idle's Greedy Bastard Diary as well, Dirtyoldsod. I bought it specifically for his recollections of George, which are scattered throughout and are sometimes funny, often moving. His account of the attack is horrific; George really downplayed it in the press. "No, I'm fine." I think they announced something like 2 stab wounds.

Dhani's testimony at the trial was also extremely upsetting for me to read. After all this, the authorities didn't even warn Dhani and Olivia (as they had requested) when the perp was set free. It just seemed an appalling situation all around.
Yeah, it's a good book. George and Eric were very close, both great guys, it would have been something to have known them. Reading some of his memories of George even got me a bit teary eyed a few times.


Why don't people like that get life in jail? "Insane" or not. The system is messed up.

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alexis

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2007, 02:22:34 AM »

Quote from: 599
Eric Idle wrote about this incident in his Greedy Bastard Diary book, I've typed it out in case anyone is interested.
It goes into details about George and Olivia's experience, and also answers the "where is he now" question, which I find the answer to be utterly disgusting.

Enjoy.



Quote from: 599
Carried out to the ambulance, covered in blood, he said to his appalled house managers, who had just started working for him, "So what do you think of the job so far?".

THis is absolutely sidesplittingly funny, and as brave as they come. I think I will always think of this line when I think of George. I don't think there's anything that's ever been said that's funnier (with the possible exception of Monty Python lines!), and certainly none braver.

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Alexis

dirtyoldsod

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2007, 02:27:02 AM »

Quote from: 568




THis is absolutely sidesplittingly funny, and as brave as they come. I think I will always think of this line when I think of George. I don't think there's anything that's ever been said that's funnier (with the possible exception of Monty Python lines!), and certainly none braver.


George definitely had a great sense of humor, I guess thats why he got on with Eric so well (and was a big Python fan).. I could see that line in a Python skit.
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jennypenny80

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2007, 07:25:53 PM »

 Does anyone have the interview of Dhani recollecting the attacks? I have heard about it,. but never read it.
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harihead

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2007, 10:09:21 PM »

Hi, Jenny. Yes, I have that. It's very tough reading. However, the Harrisons wanted it published, so I'm reproducing it here.

Nov 19 2000 At the request of the Harrison family, Sunday People publishes statements by Dhani and Olivia. Olivia expresses rage at the legal system's seeming unwillingness to consider the feelings of victims of violent crimes. Her statement is emotional, yet intelligent and informed.

Dhani Harrison's account of the night the Harrison's house was broken into and George was stabbed. From Sunday People November 19, 2000:

MY FIGHT TO KEEP DAD ALIVE
EXCLUSIVE: BEATLE'S SON DHANI HARRISON'S STORY IN HIS OWN WORDS
The devoted son of Beatle George Harrison has revealed for the first time how he held his blood-soaked father in his arms - and pleaded with him not to die. Desperate Dhani Harrison battled to save the critically-injured rock legend moments after he was stabbed by maniac Michael Abram.

In a horrifically vivid account of his nightmare, Dhani, 22, revealed how he thought George had died four times before reaching the ambulance. And he told how he, supported his father's body as he writhed and moaned in agony. Was drenched in George's blood as he knelt at his side. Heard blood and air bubbling from the stab wounds in his chest. Gazed deep into his eyes as he slipped into unconsciousness begging over and over: "Stay with me Dad!"

As he waited for paramedics to arrive at the secluded Oxfordshire mansion, panic-stricken Dhani was convinced his father had died in his arms. He said:

"He was drifting, he looked even paler in the face and he was groaning and saying, `I'm going out'. He made little sense and I knew he was losing consciousness. It was about 10 to 12 minutes, although it seemed like a lifetime, before the paramedics arrived. When they did, I felt that my father had already passed away."

Dark-haired Dhani revealed the full horror of his ordeal after George was attacked in December 1999 in a statement. His harrowing experience was not revealed at Abram's trial last week, but after the deranged former heroin addict was sent to a mental hospital, Harrison's family asked the Sunday People to publish Dhani's words. The family, who believe Abram should have gone to prison, want the world to know what he put them through.

Dhani, who bears a striking resemblance to his dad, lives in a lodge on the Harrison's 30-acre estate, Friar Park, near Henley-on-Thames, Oxon. He was fast asleep when Abram broke into the main house and attacked George with a knife - puncturing his lung and narrowly missing his heart. The ex-Beatle was saved only by the bravery of his wife Olivia who struck Abram over the head with a poker and a table lamp.
Dhani said:

"I was woken by Rachel, our housekeeper shouting, 'Get up, get up! Something has happened.' I have always been aware that something could happen to my parents, due to their fame and fortune. I am also aware of past circumstances involving other members of the Beatles. I got dressed immediately and I remember asking, `Are my parents OK?' Rachel said nothing.

"At the front door I was aware of the pace of my own heart beating. As I went into the main hall my mother was lying at the bottom of the stairs. I recall one of the brass fire sets, from her bedroom, was in close proximity to her. I ran up to her and she said, 'It's OK, Dhani. It's OK, honey.' I noticed her lips and mouth were very dry and I shouted at one of the police officers, 'Please--get her some water.' I then asked, 'What happened?' She said, 'Daddy is upstairs, he is badly hurt' or something similar. She then said, 'I'm OK. Go to him.' I knew that what was upstairs was much worse. I put my hand on my mother and said repeatedly, 'I love you.' She replied, 'Go!' I began to run up the stairs. I cannot remember getting up the stairs. I was carried by adrenaline."

"On the landing I saw two police officers kneeling over a body and a police officer standing. I was not sure then if the person on the ground was the attacker being detained or my father. I then realised it was the attacker. He looked up at me and I looked straight into his eyes. I made direct eye contact. I was immediately guided from him towards my father. I could see my father down the landing just inside the bedroom door. I went up to him, entering the bedroom and kneeling to assist him. Due to the amount of blood, which I find hard to describe, I was immediately covered in it. There were two pools of blood on the floor, blood on the walls and lots of broken glass. I saw small fragments of glass on my father's face and around the floor. It took me some time to realise it was ruby-coloured glass and not flesh or bones. The ruby glass was the remnants of a smashed lamp base. My father said something like, 'It's bad Dhan, it's bad. He stabbed me up a lot.'

"I supported him with one hand on his back and the other on his stomach. I could hear blood and air bubbling from his chest. He was moaning and trying to get into a more comfortable position, which obviously was not possible. I rendered first aid as best I could and with a bottle of water wetted his lips and tried to clean him up. I used a white towel and numerous tissues. I was trying to avoid the tissues sticking to his wounds. His head was bleeding heavily - his lips and teeth were covered in blood. He had multiple stab wounds to his chest and clearly other injuries which I could not see. He was clearly in an extremely bad way and he was in agony."

"I recall the police officer saying we had got to find the knife. He started looking around the room. He asked for my assistance and so I helped. But after a brief look around the room I realised that I had my father there in the room at death's door. I had said to him that I would be two seconds but the stupidity of looking for the knife rather than being at my father's side, had dawned on me and I returned to him. I honestly believed he was going to die. He was so pale. I looked into his eyes and saw the pain. Dad kept saying, 'Oh Dhan, oh Dhan.' When I gave him first aid I had opened his jacket and pyjama top to inspect the wounds. At one point the police officer was trying to help my father to move. I took control of that situation. I told the police officer to leave him. I said, 'Sit still, you must stay still.' My whole thought process was to keep my father alive. I have experience of a collapsing lung myself. My father was still bleeding heavily and he kept closing his eyes and drifting. I kept flicking my fingers and saying loudly, `Listen to my voice.'

"I held his hand and the police officer held the other. He kept saying, 'Open your eyes Mr. Harrison.' He was now drifting, he looked even paler in the face, and was groaning and saying, 'I'm going out.' He made little sense and I knew he was losing consciousness. It seemed like a lifetime - before the paramedics arrived. When they did, I felt that my father had already passed away. When the paramedics arrived, he seemed to perk up, but drifted away again and complained of being cold. The paramedics and I lifted him into a stretcher-type chair. He was clearly in agony."

"He lifted his head, but it made him dizzy and he said, 'Dhani, I'm going, I'm going.' His eyes were rolling. I could only see the whites of them and he said, 'I love you Dhan.' He was strapped in and covered in blankets and we manoeuvred him towards the stairs. By this time the attacker had been removed. We got to the top of the stairs and at that point my father looked at me. He said, 'I love you Dhan.' One of his eyes rolled back independently of the other eye. Throughout his ordeal, my father's words were broken with coughing and spluttering. Then he said, 'Hare Krishna'and he closed his eyes.

"At this point he drew a very strange, deep breath. His mouth puckered, he drew his cheeks in and he sucked in his bottom lip. This breath made me react immediately. I shouted, 'Dad, you're with me, listen to my voice. It is going to be OK. Stay with me.' His face was contorted and he had not taken a breath for some seconds - an alarmingly long period. As I finished shouting he breathed out and opened his eyes. I have never seen another human being dead or alive - and I have seen my grandfather in his coffin - look so bad. My father was now back with us and I kept up the encouragement, hoping he would stay conscious."

"We were nearly halfway down the stairs when he went again. I again screamed at him, 'Dad, stay with me and listen to my voice.' I vividly remember saying, 'This is the worst it gets. From now on, it's only getting better.' 'I want you to focus on getting better. We have hit rock bottom, it is only getting better.' I kept repeating this so he could focus on my voice. At the bottom of the stairs it happened again and again I repeated the process and thankfully he came back. My mother was still at the bottom of the stairs with a blanket wrapped around her. She was covered in blood and had a very nasty head wound. She was saying, 'I'm cold, I'm cold.' She said to my father, 'It's OK, honey. You are going to be all right.'

"We got to an ambulance. The paramedics put my father inside and I was not allowed in while they treated him. I wanted to see him, so I pulled myself on a bumper. Gripping with my finger nails I could see my father. I did not want to let him out of my sight."
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All you've got to do is choose love.  That's how I live it now.  I learned a long time ago, I can feed the birds in my garden.  I can't feed them all. -- Ringo Starr, Rolling Stone magazine, May 2007<br />

WaMoZ

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2008, 03:51:43 AM »

I feel emotionally exhausted after just reading these accounts. The strength and courage of George, Olivia and Dhani is truly inspiring. Even leaving aside the sheer horror of the actual attack, surely the battering George's body recieved must have made his battle against cancer even harder and contributed to his death only two years later :(.

I still can't believe this lunatic was freed after only a couple of years. How could they be certain he was no longer capable of carrying out such extreme violence? And anyway, how much are the lives of innocent victims worth? Surely at least ten years inside is a better reflection of the severity of this crime? I just shake my head in disbelief ??).
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Rising Starr

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2008, 10:42:19 AM »

I heard that when Tom Petty heard about the incident he said to George, "It's a good thing you married a Mexican."
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WaMoZ

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2008, 12:09:36 PM »

Yes, the jokes are the only thing bearable about this. I love George's line to Eric Idle:"Why doesn't this sort of thing happen to the Rolling Stones?"
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harihead

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2008, 05:26:19 PM »

Quote from: 1026
Even leaving aside the sheer horror of the actual attack, surely the battering George's body recieved must have made his battle against cancer even harder and contributed to his death only two years later :(.
That's how Keith Richards saw it. He thought George would have beaten the cancer except for this.

Paul Simon has some heartbreaking recollections as well about George's last year, when it was so hard for him to breathe because his lungs were messed up from stab wounds and surgery. But he kept on singing when he could, working on his last album. Great man.

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All you've got to do is choose love.  That's how I live it now.  I learned a long time ago, I can feed the birds in my garden.  I can't feed them all. -- Ringo Starr, Rolling Stone magazine, May 2007<br />

Paul Doherty

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2008, 01:02:04 PM »

just read this,very sad indeed.A legend indeed.And i hope his son all the very best,sounds like a great guy also.
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Bungalow Bill

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Re: George Harrison STABBING INCIDENT?
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2008, 06:35:51 PM »

Wow, thank you so much for posting these accounts George's and Olivia's bravery shines through the darkness of that night.
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