Assistant charged in Realtor’s death

New York – The personal assistant to a multimillionaire real estate agent and punk rock pioneer was arrested Friday after confessing that she fatally beat her boss with a yoga stick when a barrage of insults threw her into a homicidal rage, police said.

Natavia Lowery, 26, was charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Linda Stein, a former co-manager of the Ramones who was found face-down in blood inside her $3 million Fifth Avenue apartment, said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Stein, 62, was smashed a half-dozen times in the head and neck with a weighted yoga stick typically used for stretching exercises. Lowery was captured on a surveillance tape leaving Stein’s building shortly after the Oct. 30 assault, Kelly said.

A judge on Friday ordered Lowery held without bail.

Defense attorney Gilbert C. Parris complained to the judge at Lowery’s arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court that he had not been told she was giving investigators a statement, even though he had instructed police and prosecutors to notify him.

Parris said the statements were taken at 6 a.m., after she had undergone lengthy questioning.

Stein, credited with bringing the Ramones to England, became known as the “Realtor to the Stars” after launching a second career in real estate.

Lowery told police that she was subjected to profane and derogatory comments from Stein as they worked in the real estate agent’s apartment that morning. Lowery said she finally snapped while retrieving an e-mail from Stein’s computer, with the boss blowing marijuana smoke in her face and telling her to hurry, Kelly recounted.

Lowery then snatched the stick from Stein’s hands and battered the businesswoman until she collapsed, according to police.

Lowery also took Stein’s debit card and went to an automatic teller machine where she withdrew $800, Assistant District Attorney Shanda Strain said.

Publisher delays book of Harry Potter fan site

New York – After being sued by J.K. Rowling, a publisher has agreed to delay its plans to release an encyclopedic reference work on the fictitious world of the Harry Potter novels.

RDR Books Publisher Roger Rapoport said he volunteered to halt typesetting on the planned “Harry Potter Lexicon” until a judge rules on whether the work constitutes a violation of Rowling’s intellectual property rights, or the copyright on her novels held by Warner Bros.

The book, drawn on material from the fan-created Harry Potter Lexicon Web site, had been scheduled for release Nov. 28.

A federal judge in New York gave force to the agreement by issuing an order Thursday barring completion, distribution, marketing or advance sales of the book until further notice.

Rapoport, whose small company is based in Muskegon, Mich., said he had also turned over a copy of the Lexicon to Warner Bros. lawyers, in the hopes that they would read it and decide that it didn’t amount to copyright infringement.

The lawsuit, filed Oct. 31, sought an injunction blocking publication of the book because it was likely to borrow too heavily from Rowling’s work and interfere with her plans to eventually publish her own version of an encyclopedia on the wizarding world.

Police raid Winehouse’s home while singer away

London – Police raided Amy Winehouse’s London home, using a crowbar to force open the door. The singer’s spokesman said she was not there at the time and that drugs were not involved.

British media said the raid was related to the arrest of Winehouse’s husband and several other men on suspicion of trying to pervert the course of justice. Photographs in British newspapers on Friday showed police officers forcing open the home in Camden, north London.

British media reported that the investigation concerned Winehouse’s husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, who is due to stand trial next week on charges of assaulting a barman.

Police said four men were arrested in connection with the investigation. A fifth man was arrested Friday in central England.

Ex-head of school denies knowledge of abuse

Johannewsburg, South Africa – The former headmistress of Oprah Winfrey’s school for disadvantaged girls has denied being aware of allegations that a dormitory matron sexually assaulted and abused pupils.

Winfrey announced Monday that Nomvuyo Mzamane’s contract would not be renewed, indicating that school officials had ignored complaints from the girls and tried to keep allegations of abuse from her.

Mzamane was suspended last month when allegations of abuse by one of the dormitory matrons surfaced.

Tiny Virginia Makopo, 27, faces 13 charges of indecent assault, assault and criminal injury committed against at least six students aged 13-15 and a 23-year-old at the school. Makopo, who said she was innocent, was freed on bail Monday.

Mills McCartney, law firm go separate ways

London – Heather Mills McCartney has parted company with the law firm that had represented her in her divorce from former Beatle Paul McCartney, the firm said Friday.

Shimon Cohen, of Mishcon de Reya Solicitors, confirmed news reports that the firm was no longer representing her, but declined as a matter of policy to say why or when it ceased to do so.

Mishcon de Reya represented Princess Diana in her divorce from Prince Charles, whose divorce attorney, Fiona Shackleton, is representing McCartney.

Anna Nicole Smith’s attorney sues for $160K

Los Angeles – Britney Spears and the late Anna Nicole Smith have something in common – the same attorney.

Sorrell Trope, the attorney currently representing Spears in her custody battle, is suing Smith’s estate for unpaid legal bills.

Trope is seeking more than $160,000 in legal fees for work his firm provided for Smith from October 2006 to March 2007, according to a creditor’s claim filed Wednesday. The former Playboy Playmate died in February.