Rapper Slowthai raped two women at a house party after a gig, along with a friend, a court has been told.
The Grammy-nominated star, whose real name is Tyron Frampton, 29, and his co-accused Alex Blake-Walker, 27, are accused of raping the two women at a flat in Oxford on 8 September, 2021.
Both men deny the charges, and say all sexual activity was with the participation and consent of the women.
Frampton, 29, arrived at Oxford Crown Court for the second day of his trial accompanied by his wife, singer Anne-Marie.
WARNING: Allegations that some readers may find upsetting
The alleged attack is said to have taken place following Frampton’s performance at The Bullingdon music venue in the city, the night before.
Oxford Crown Court heard that one of the complainants – described as a “huge fan” of the rapper – had seen Frampton in a restaurant before the show and after speaking with him had been added to the VIP list.
More on Oxfordshire
Related Topics:
Heather Stangoe, prosecuting, told the jury that after the gig this complainant met a group of friends – including the second complainant – at Frampton’s tour bus.
Ms Stangoe told the jury the “sole purpose” of Frampton and Blake-Walker going to the house party “was to secure sexual gratification”.
Image: Frampton arrives at Oxford Crown Court with his wife, singer Anne-Marie. Pic: PA
‘High-fiving’ and ‘tag teams’
She said: “It mattered not to them whether the subjects of their attention consented or not. As it happened the two women in this case did not but that did not matter to these two defendants.”
She alleged the women were raped simultaneously at one point, with the defendants said to have “high-fived, discussed ‘tag teams’ and contemplated swapping the girls”.
She went on: “Their behaviour whilst sexually assaulting two females – who they had isolated from their friends – the encouragement and the assistance they gave one another when they became concerned that the females would run away has resulted in them being jointly charged with oral and vaginal rape.”
Ms Stangoe says Frampton met the second complainant, who had not been at the performance, at the Bullingdon Bar, and shared a shot of tequila with her.
She said she “had been drinking for many hours” and had also taken ketamine and cocaine and continued to drink and take drugs until just before the incident.
The prosecution said that although she was intoxicated, rendering her vulnerable, her state did not mean that she was incapable of consenting.
‘No phones, and no boys’
She says the girls declined an invitation to remain on the tour bus and travel to the next tour date in Southampton, and instead went to their friend’s house.
Ms Stangoe says Frampton stipulated that there would be “no phones, and no boys,” before agreeing to attend the party, a restriction she says suggested Frampton and Blake-Walker’s “mindset from the outset”.
The prosecutor said Frampton, Blake-Walker and two other men went with the group of girls to the property. She said the attack took place on a flat roof through a window of the property, and “happened very quickly”.
When the attack was interrupted, after initially being impeded by Blake-Walker holding the window shut, she said: “Frampton immediately jumped from the roof into the garden, ran through and out of the house. Blake-Walker left the property. The other two men also left.”
Ms Stangoe says the incident was reported to the police that night, after which the defendants were arrested and interviewed, denying the charges.
‘The effect of celebrity’
The prosecution alleges Frampton had twice raped one of the complainants while being encouraged by Blake-Walker.
Blake-Walker is accused of raping the other complainant while being encouraged by Frampton.
It is said they both sexually assaulted the woman Frampton is alleged to have raped.
In opening remarks to the jury, Patrick Gibbs KC, representing Frampton, suggested the events that night between his client and one of the complainants were consensual.
He said there was a difference between on the one hand “willingly participating in something which is spontaneous and chaotic and in the excitement of the intoxication of the moment and on the other regretting it afterwards”.
He also said “the effect of celebrity” may have led people to “enthusiastically do things they wouldn’t otherwise do”.
Sheryl Nwosu, representing Blake-Walker, said her client had always denied forcing one of the women to engage in sexual activity, and denied any sexual contact with the woman Frampton is accused of raping.
Frampton, who was nominated for a Grammy in 2021 and a Mercury prize in 2019, was removed from the Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading festival line-up after being charged last year.
The trial – which is expected to last three weeks – continues.
Austria has won Eurovision 2025, with Austrian-Filipino singer-songwriter JJ taking the glass microphone.
The 24-year-old singer, who originally trained as a countertenor, represented his country with his operatic ballad Wasted Love, staged on a storm-tossed ship.
The song, which was not dissimilar to that of last year’s winner Nemo, told the story of unrequited love, with a techno breakdown near the end. Austria has won Eurovision twice before, the last time in 2014 with Conchita Wurst’s pop hit Rise Like A Phoenix.
Image: JJ singing Wasted Love for Austria. Pic: Reuters
Israel’s Yuval Raphael, who survived the October 7, 2023, attacks which were the catalyst for Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, was the runner-up with piano ballad New Day Will Rise, performed in Hebrew, French and English.
The singer was left “shaken and upset,” after two pro-Palestinian protesters rushed towards her during her grand final performance.
Organisers confirmed a backstage crew member was hit with paint but was not hurt.
A spokesman for SRG SSR said: “At the end of the Israeli performance, a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier onto the stage.
More on Eurovision
Related Topics:
“They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint and a crew member was hit. The crew member is fine and nobody was injured. The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.”
Israel has won Eurovision four times, and last year finished in fifth place with Eden Golan’s Hurricane.
Image: Yuval Raphael performs New Day Will Rise for Israel. Pic:AP
Just as the grand final began broadcasting, Spanish broadcaster shared a message of Palestinian support which read: “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine.”
The broadcaster had already received a warning from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) over political statements reported by Israeli broadcaster Kan.
The EBU said in response to the latter incident: “We can confirm that we have spoken to RTVE regarding this matter and made it clear that commentators are expected to maintain neutrality within the broadcasts of the Eurovision Song Contest.”
During the evening, there were also pro-Palestinian protests near the centre of Basel, as well as a small group nearby protesting with Israeli flags.
Israeli National Security Council had issued a warning to Israeli civilians in the city to keep a low profile during the competition.
In a change from last year’s contest in Malmo, Sweden, the ban on certain flags being waved by the audience was relaxed which meant Palestinian symbols could be seen in the arena.
Image: Remember Monday perform What The Hell Just Happened for the UK. Pic: AP
The UK’s act – country pop trio Remember Monday – who performed in colourful Bridgerton-style outfits – avoided the dreaded “nul points”, coming in at 19th place with song What The Hell Just Happened?
However, for the second year running, the UK received no points in the public score.
The UK has had five wins at Eurovision, but in recent years have struggled to rank, with the exception being Sam Ryder with Space Man in 2022, who came second.
Last year, Olly Alexander placed 18th at Malmo, and Mae Muller was second to last the previous year in Liverpool.
The Eurovision grand final took place in the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland, with the winner from among the 26 performing nations decided by a mix of public voting and points from national juries.
The four-hour-long show was presented by an all-female team – stand-up comedian Hazel Brugger, TV presenter Michelle Hunziker and Eurovision veteran Sandra Studer.
There were performances by previous Eurovision runners-up Croatia’s Baby Lasagna and Finland’s Kaarija, as well as last year’s winner Nemo during the night.
Image: KAJ perform Bara Bada Bastu for Sweden. Pic: AP
Sweden had been widely tipped to win with their sauna-themed entry Bara Bada Bastu (Just Sauna), but ended up coming fourth.
Ukraine, who have made a strong showing each since they first entered the competition in 2003, and who won in 2023, came ninth.
Last year protests and politics overshadowed the singing event amid the outbreak of war in Gaza, with some calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest.
Last year also saw Dutch singer Joost Klein kicked out of the competition by the EBU over alleged verbal threats to a female production worker, which he denied.
Next year’s competition, Eurovision’s 70th, will be held in Austria.
A second man has been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent after an incident at a London nightclub that allegedly involved US singer Chris Brown.
The Metropolitan Police said Omololu Akinlolu, 38, will appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
Better known by his stage name HoodyBaby, the American rapper has been charged in connection with an alleged assault at the Tape nightclub in central London in February 2023.
Brown, 36, was charged on Thursday with grievous bodily harm with intent and was remanded in custody by judge in Manchester until 13 June.
He is accused of attacking music producer Abraham Diaw with a bottle during the incident in February.
During a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Brown watched intently as brief details of the case against him were outlined by prosecutor Hannah Nicholls.
She accused Brown of committing “an unprovoked attack with a weapon in a nightclub full of people”.
Brown spoke to confirm his name and date of birth, but did not enter a plea.
He will appear for a plea and trial preparation hearing in London on 13 June.
Brown – known for hits such as “Loyal”, “Run It” and “Under the Influence” – was arrested at a hotel in Manchester in the early hours of Thursday by detectives from the Metropolitan Police.
The Grammy Award-winning singer was due to tour the UK in June and July, with dates in Manchester, Cardiff, London, Glasgow and Birmingham.