COURTNEY LOVE - COURTNEY'S DRUMMER SAYS ACCUSER IS AFTER MONEY

LATEST: COURTNEY LOVE's drummer SAMANTHA MALONEY has slammed the man pressing assault charges against the troubled rocker - insisting he's just doing it for money.

The former HOLE frontwoman - who is already facing two drug felony charges in Los Angeles - was in New York City's East Village area in the early hours of this morning (18MAR04), when she allegedly hit the man on the head with a microphone stand.

According to police, the 24-year-old Kentucky man - in New York visiting a friend - is not seriously hurt but they intend to press charges against Love - one count of reckless endangerment and another of third-degree assault.

But Maloney blasts, "Me and the rest of the band are in here and we're trying to make a statement to the police. Basically the guy is trying to get her money - that's all it is. It's really a shame. She didn't even have her microphone stand. She didn't do anything - and there's 800 witnesses."

Photographer STEVE SANDS, who was also at the event, adds, "Nobody realised. I was in the front row with a whole group of people and, if anything, the audience was more rowdy than she was."