Slowthai has been cleared of raping two women at a house party.
The rapper, whose real name is Tyron Frampton, and his co-accused Alex Blake-Walker, were accused of rape following the musician’s performance at The Bullingdon in Oxford, on the evening of September 7 2021.
Both Frampton, who is aged 29, and Blake-Walker, who is 27, consistently denied the accusations levelled against them.
Now, following a jury at Oxford Crown Court retiring on Thursday (December 12) after a two-week trial, the rapper has been cleared of the rape accusations, according to Sky News.
The BBC also shared that his friend who was also on trial, Alex Blake-Walker was cleared on one count of sexual assault.
Frampton reportedly broke down in tears in the dock while the not-guilty verdicts were read out. The outlet also shared that the jury was made up of eight men and four women, who reached the majority verdict after over 10 hours of deliberation.
The update in the case comes just days after it was reported that jurors were told not to be “Wagatha Christies” in their decisions – a reference to the famous legal battle between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney.
Patrick Gibbs KC, the lawyer defending Frampton, claimed in court that there were a dozen “problems” with accusations outlined and said that Slowthai isn’t “everybody’s stereotype of a rapper”, describing him as a “thoughtful [and] modest” man who “throws himself, sometimes recklessly, into life”.
Also in the court proceedings, Blake-Walker’s lawyer Sheryl Nwosu, said that the evidence outlined “doesn’t fit with Mr Blake-Walker and his behaviour on the night”, while Judge Ian Pringe said the case was a “question of consent”.
Last week, the judge asked jurors to “lay aside any feelings of sympathy or dislike” and make their decision in a “calm and cool manner”, adding that they “must be sure of guilt” if they are to convict the two men.
Frampton has been supported by his wife Anne-Marie throughout the trial, which was held at Oxford Crown Court.
Slowthai was nominated for the Mercury Prize for his 2019 debut album ‘Nothing Great About Britain’, with his second album ‘Tyron’ reaching Number One upon release in 2021. The artist’s last release was ‘UGLY’, which came out back in March.
This is a developing story.
