TW: rape, sexual assault, abuse.
Andy Anokye, aka Solo 45, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison following his trial at Bristol Crown Court. Earlier this year, the MC was found guilty of 21 counts of rape, five counts of false imprisonment, two counts of assault by penetration and two of actual bodily harm.
Judge William Hart sentenced the 33-year-old artist to a minimum of 24 years in prison and five years on license. As ITV report, judge Hart told Anokye: “I am entirely satisfied that your career as an artist was flourishing at the time of this offending and would have gone to greater heights… You were part of a well-known collective, Boy Better Know. The fellow artists from that collective have achieved great success. But none of those artists, dedicated to their craft, knew of your dark side and they are in no way tainted by your misdeeds which were carried out in a wholly private and hidden way.”
If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, you can contact the Rape Crisis national freephone helpline on 0808-802-9999 in the UK. In the US, Rainn offers support by phone on 800-656-4673 or via web-chat at Rainn.org. International helplines can be found here.