The grime artist Solo 45, aka Andy Anokye, has been jailed for 24 years for holding four women against their will and raping them repeatedly.
His victims have come forward to recounted in graphic details the horror with which he abused them. They described how he beat and threatened them with weapons, held a cloth with bleach over their faces and waterboarded them, recording much of the abuse on his mobile phone.
Anokye, 33, who was living in a Bristol apartment at the time of his arrest, was convicted of 30 charges in March. The musician, was part of the collective Boy Better Know.
In a court session, Solo 45 admitted that he liked to “terrorise” women, but insisted they always consented to his “rape game”. However, when in a cross examination he was asked whether he stopped when told by the women, he replied “usually”. The musician then swiftly changed his reply to “always”.
According to reports by the Guardian, the public gallery was cleared during the display of videos he made of his crimes. Due to their extreme and intimate nature only two members of the media were allowed to view them.
Solo 45 was unanimously convicted of 21 rapes, five counts of false imprisonment, two counts of assault by penetration and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Solo 45 victim’s statement
The victims have unitedly spoken about the trauma they suffered through the artist. One said: “He tortured me for hours and in those moments I would’ve complied with anything for terror of him torturing or hurting me again.”
Another wrote: “I had nightmares for about two and a half years where I would regularly wake up screaming and crying.” And a third said: “He has ruined my life.”
The judge, William Hart, ordered Anokye to serve 24 years in prison and a further five years on licence.