Diddy now accused of trying to blackmail trial witnesses from his jail cell

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been accused of pulling the strings to sway public opinion from his jail cell, according to a recent court document.

The hip-hop heavyweight is being held at at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal prison in New York, facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, transportation and engaging in prostitution, all of which he refutes. So far, bids for bail have been knocked back, though a fresh hearing is on the cards next week to consider his hefty £40million ($50million) bail offer.

Despite that, a new filing on Friday saw prosecutors pressing the judge to turn down this latest bid.

They've sifted through Combs' recorded jailhouse conversations and claim he's tasked relatives with contacting potential victims and witnesses.

The 55-year-old has supposedly been hatching "narratives" to influence the jury pool, while brainstorming PR plays to tip scales of public sentiment.

"The defendant has shown repeatedly - even while in custody - that he will flagrantly and repeatedly flout rules in order to improperly impact the outcome of his case. The defendant has shown, in other words, that he cannot be trusted to abide by rules or conditions," the prosecutors noted in a document spotted with redactions, reports the Mirror.

Prosecutors have suggested in a court filing that Combs' actions imply an attempt to blackmail victims and witnesses into silence or to provide testimony beneficial to his defence.

They allege that Combs began violating rules almost immediately after being detained in Brooklyn.

Combs has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of coercing and abusing women over several years with the help of a network of associates and employees, while using blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical assaults, to silence his victims. Two judges have deemed him a danger to society and a flight risk.

His legal team recently submitted a third bail request following the rejection of two previous attempts, one of which was a £40m ($50m) bail proposal. In their request, they cited changed circumstances, including new evidence, arguing that it would be reasonable to release Combs so he can better prepare for his trial on May 5.

However, prosecutors argue that the defence's latest bail proposal was constructed using some evidence provided by the prosecution, and that this new material was already known to the defence when they made previous bail applications. In their submission to the judge, prosecutors argued that Combs' conduct in jail indicates that he should remain incarcerated.

For example, they claimed that Combs has roped in family members to orchestrate a social media campaign around his birthday "with the intention of influencing the potential jury in this criminal proceeding."

He urged his kids to upload a video on their social media profiles showing them congregating to celebrate his birthday, they stated.

Subsequently, he scrutinised the analytics, including audience engagement, from jail and "explicitly discussed with his family how to ensure that the video had his desired effect on potential jury members in this case," they alleged.

The government also accused Combs of revealing during other calls his plan to anonymously release information that he believed would aid his defence against the charges.

"The defendant's efforts to obstruct the integrity of this proceeding also includes relentless efforts to contact potential witnesses, including victims of his abuse who could provide powerful testimony against him," prosecutors penned.

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