Kevin Gates was convicted of battery and sentenced to 180 days in jail Wednesday.
August last year, a video surfaced of Gates kicking a woman off stage at a show in Lakeland, Florida. He was later arrested and charged with battery after the woman — Miranda Dixon, 18 years old at the time — landed in the hospital.
Gates was given one year probation once he was released, too, according to Fox 13, Tampa’s FOX news affiliate. The six-month sentence was three times what the prosecutors requested of the judge, the news station said. He was convicted by an all-white, all-female jury.
Fox 13 detailed both Gates’ and Dixon’s arguments.
Dixon testified she reached out and touched Gates’ shorts on two occasions. After the second time, Dixon says Gates kicked her so hard that she fell back and later blacked out. She also complained of pain in her upper stomach for a month after the incident.
Baez argued Gates’ foot didn’t make contact with Dixon at all, and that Dixon was lying in order to gain damages in a separate civil suit against Gates.
After the incident, Gates offered his own testimony on a song called “The Truth,” where he described in detail how he was assaulted multiple times before getting Dixon off the stage.
Gates will serve his sentence in Polk County Jail.
The Baton Rouge native released his debut album, Islah, in January. It reached platinum status, lead by two of its singles, “Really Really” and “2 Phones.”
