July 2020

Solo 45 trial: Grime artist jailed for raping four women

A grime artist who was found guilty of raping four women and holding them against their will has been jailed for 24 years.

Andy Anokye, 32, who performed as Solo 45, admitted he would “terrorise” women during “rough sex”.

He was found guilty of 30 charges at a trial at Bristol Crown Court in March.

Judge William Hart told Anokye he had “become addicted” to the “perverted pleasure” he took from abusing the women.

Anokye had “no sexual boundaries or empathy for those concerned”, he added.

Judge Hart said: “I’m entirely satisfied that your career as a music artist was flourishing at the time of this offending and that you would have gone to great heights.

“Your convictions have deprived you of that career but the fault is yours alone.”

He imposed an extended sentence meaning Anokye will serve 24 years in prison and five on licence. Anokye was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

In March, Anokye was unanimously convicted of 21 rapes, five counts of false imprisonment, two counts of assault by penetration and two of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The offences were committed between February 2015 and March 2017.

The investigation against Anokye began after one of the victims told friends and police what had happened.

Officers then seized his mobile phones and laptop and this led police to three other women.

He met these victims at his gigs and developed relationships with them before assaulting them, his trial heard.

Anokye, who is from London but had a flat in Bristol, was part of grime collective Boy Better Know.

He appeared as part of that collective on the main stage at the Reading and Leeds Festival in 2016.

His best known track as Solo 45 was Feed Em To The Lions, which was covered by Craig David – as a mash-up with Destiny Child’s Say My Name – for an appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge in 2016.