R Kelly skips court

R Kelly has failed to appear in court to face trial on child pornography charges, blaming his non-appearance on the weather.

The R&B star was finally due to faces charges in Chicago yesterday, five years after he was originally arrested in 2002.

According to reports, the singer was forced to stop his tour bus is Utah because of the conditions and also because his driver was tired.

It has been claims that authorities in the area pulled the vehicle over and after checking the log book insisted the driver should rest for eight hours.

The judge in the trial has approved a request from Cook County prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant against Kelly, although it will not become active until later today.

The charges relate to alleged footage of him having sex with a girl said to have been 14-years-old at the time of the incident.

R Kelly has protested his innocence throughout the intervening years. He could be imprisoned for 15 years, if found guilty.