Back in April, Eminem awoke at home April 5 to discover a man standing behind him, a Clinton Township police officer testified Wednesday.
Eminem initially thought it was his nephew, but it turned out to be a stranger later identified as Matthew David Hughes, said officer Adam Hackstock.
“When Mr. Mathers asked him why he was there, he was told by Mr. Hughes that he was there to kill him,” Hackstock said on the stand during a preliminary examination in Macomb County District Court.
Hughes has been in custody since the incident, charged with first-degree home invasion and malicious destruction of property. He appeared in court Wednesday. Eminem was not in court but his attorney watched the proceedings via video.
The officer said he spoke with the rapper for more than an hour after Hughes was detained.
Eminem said he escorted the home invader through a TV area, game room and basketball court to an exit out of the house, Hackstock testified. Hughes did not have a weapon, he said.
Hughes is being held on a $50,000 cash bond. The judge denied a request by Hughes’ attorney, Richard Glanda, to reduce the bond, saying the victim’s fame was irrelevant to his decision.
Prosecutor Paul Bukowski told the court that Hughes is apparently homeless.
Glanda, appointed by the court, initially sought a competency evaluation for his client, who turned it down.
“In my opinion, I think there’s some sort of mental issues involved here,” Glanda said, outside the courtroom Wednesday.
