JayStation: 'Death hoax' YouTuber charged with assault

Screen grab from one of ImJayStation's YouTube video

A YouTube celebrity who confessed to pretending that his girlfriend had been killed has been arrested and charged with assault and assault with a weapon.

Toronto Police confirmed Jason Ethier - known online as ImJayStation - would appear in court on 16 March.

It is not clear if the charges relate to the hoax, which the 29-year-old said was intended to boost YouTube views.

Ethier claimed in January that Alexia Marano, his then-girlfriend, had been killed by a drunk driver.

He went on to make videos that showed him visiting her memorial and attempting to contact her via a Ouija board.

The deception unravelled when suspicious viewers began to question his story.

In a confession video, Ethier claimed Marano had been in on the scam from the beginning.

He then said she had left him and that she was "trying to ruin his life" by allegedly accusing him of assault.

Writing on Twitter, Marano herself said there was "nowhere to go but up" and claimed to be "just a little girl caught in the crossfire".

Toronto Police confirmed to the BBC on Tuesday that a warrant was issued on Monday and that Ethier had been arrested and charged.