Via The Express

EASTENDERS star Linda Henry has today been cleared of calling a council worker a “nigger” in a row over a cigarette butt.

The 55-year-old was accused of saying  “do you know who I am?” before hurling abuse at a community warden outside a Jamie Oliver restaurant in south London. 

The actress, who plays Shirley Carter on the BBC soap, denied the accusation saying the term was “repulsive” and such abuse was “not in my psyche”. 

The council warden claimed the veteran soap star told her she had no “photographic evidence”.

Prosecutor Thea Viney said:”[The female warden] told her that throwing litter was a zero-tolerance offence in Greenwich Borough and the Crown say that Ms Valiris responded by saying ‘do you know who I am? I’m Shirley’.”

She then gave incorrect information to the warden, the court heard. 

The actress, who was tried under her married name of Linda Valiris, was accused of saying: “Who do you think you are? Go away, f**k off, nigger.”  Continue Reading…

Council worker: Iyabo Adetokunbo

The actress was cleared within minutes of one count of using threatening or abusive words that were likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Prosecutor Thea Viney said:”[The female warden] told her that throwing litter was a zero-tolerance offence in Greenwich Borough and the Crown say that Ms Valiris responded by saying ‘do you know who I am? I’m Shirley’.”

Hmmmm… that’s an odd response. Usually when a celebrity drops the ‘do you know who I am’ line, they don’t then follow up by mentioning the name of the character they play on a TV show.

I can actually see why she was cleared within minutes because I don’t totally buy the warden’s accusation of racism/version of events.