COMPENSATION is all it would take for Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin to avoid having to return to Australia to face charges of malicious injury to property after an incident at Byron Bay on the weekend.

The brooding, critically acclaimed pop star was charged after allegedly trying to break the windscreen of a car driven by freelance photographer Jon Lister during the Splendour in the Grass music festival at Byron Bay.

Martin, the fiance of Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow, who is on tour with him, was enraged after Lister refused to erase from his digital camera pictures of the British singer surfing.

Martin was interviewed by police at his exclusive hotel, Rae’s on Watego, where he was issued with a notice to attend Byron Bay Local Court on October 8 over malicious damage to property.

The photographer’s employer, who owns the damaged car, told the news service AAP he would not pursue legal action against Martin if the damage was paid for.

“We are not intending on pushing the issue in the court, we just want the damage paid for,” said the Sydney photo agency director, who did not wish to be named.

“We wish it hadn’t become a story.”

The band has done a string of sold-out concerts through Europe in recent months promoting their last album A Rush of Blood to theHead.

Coldplay will perform a third concert in Sydney tonight before leaving for Auckland for one concert and then on to Japan, Thailand and back to Britain.

Arts — Page 13