Charlotte Church and Steven Johnson split up last year

Steven Johnson from Cardiff had been charged with possessing a pair of nunchucks, martial arts weapons.

But the case was dismissed when a key prosecution witness was discovered to be on holiday in New York.

Mr Johnson, 19, of Butetown, had denied possessing the weapons at the Knap in Barry, south Wales, on 1 March.

Barry Magistrates Court heard witness Pc Michael Williams had sent a letter to the prosecution saying he would be unable to attend the hearing because of holidays.

Prosecuting, Matthew Barry said there had been an administrative oversight and applied for an adjournment to the case to a later date.

However, the chairman of the bench, John Jones, said the magistrates did not feel an adjournment was "appropriate".

Defending, Carol Anthony told the court Mr Johnson had always maintained his innocence and had witnesses to back up his claim the nunchucks were under the seat of a vehicle without his knowledge.

I just want to pursue my music career and modelling career and get on with this stuff, Steven Johnson

"He himself is a martial arts expert and he had the nunchucks in the course of his martial arts hobby," she said.

The court heard the DJ and former model, who had been "quite successful" with media appearances, had lost out on work following the allegations.

"His life has been blighted and it is not in the interests of justice that the matter be adjourned any further," Mrs Anthony added.

The prosecution offered no evidence and the bench dismissed the charges.

Speaking after the case, Mr Johnson, who had a high-profile relationship with Charlotte Church until she found out he was seeing someone else last December, said he was signing with a modelling agency in Paris and New York.

He had been dropped by his former agency earlier this year.

He also told reporters he was working on his own music and was producing a rap artist.