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LGBT lifestyle vlogger of moderate acclaim Calum McSwiggan, 26, claims that he was viciously attacked by three men in West Hollywood because of his sexuality. In an Instragram post McSwiggan posted on Tuesday, the Youtube star explained how how the attackers separated him from his friends, and beat him until he had three broken teeth and a cut that required six stitches.
The West Hollywood Sheriff's department disagrees, however, and says that McSwiggan injured himself using a telephone receiver furnished in a jail cell. McSwiggan was arrested early Monday morning after he allegedly intentionally damaged a car on Santa Monica Boulevard, close to its intersection with Robertson, according to the L.A. Times.
In a statement provided to The Advocate, West Hollywood Sheriffs deputies do confirm that they responded to an initial assault call from McSwiggan early Monday morning after he left an area nightclub. However, the statement continues and says that the deputies who arrived "were unable to substantiate the assault" because McSwiggan "had no visible injuries." Deputies then arrested McSwiggan on a count of vandalism with property damage greater than $400 after watching him vandalize a car.
McSwiggan was booked and photographed per arrest procedures. Curiously, there are no visible injuries in his booking photo, taken early Monday morning. After the arrest, McSwiggan "was then observed injuring himself with the handle and receiver to a payphone," according to the statement. McSwiggan was transported to a hospital where, ostensibly, he uploaded the selfie and victim narrative.
"I've never felt so terrified to be a gay man in the public eye," he wrote.
McSwiggan's booking photo is the left-hand side image posted at the top of this page. Chronologically, that picture was taken before the right-hand side picture was, which was posted by McSwiggan on Tuesday from the hospital.
McSwiggan says he won't be making public comment until after his Wednesday morning court appointment. Here is his Instagram post:
