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Rapper's friend raped woman at party, court hears

PA/Joe Giddens Tyron Frampton (right), known as Slowthai, walking outside a court wearing a green jumper. He has a tattoo on his neck and a short mullet haircut. A woman with long red hair and a furry hat walks beside him.PA/Joe Giddens
Slowthai arrived at court alongside his wife, the popstar Anne-Marie

A friend of Grammy-nominated rapper Slowthai forced himself on a woman at an after-show house party, a court has heard.

Alex Blake-Walker is accused of raping the woman at the party in the early hours of 8 September 2021.

It happened after the rapper, whose real name is Tyron Frampton, performed a gig in Oxford, the city's crown court heard.

Mr Frampton, 29, and Mr Blake-Walker, 27, deny three joint charges of rape and one of sexual assault against two women.

Slowthai performing with a microphone in his hand. He is wearing a black beanie hat and a ripped white shirt.
Slowthai had been performing at The Bullingdon music venue in Oxford, the court heard

Mr Blake-Walker of Wallbutton Road, south-east London, was a friend of the rapper and was part of his entourage, the jury was told.

The prosecution alleged he raped one of the women while being encouraged by Mr Frampton.

Mr Frampton, of Wellingborough Road, Northampton, had twice raped the other woman while being encouraged by Blake-Walker, the prosecution went on.

The prosecution also claimed they both sexually assaulted the woman Mr Frampton is alleged to have raped.

Slowthai performing at a festival. He is wearing a multicoloured hat and sunglasses and is singing into a microphone. He is shirtless, showing several tattoos on his torso and arms. He is making a peace sign with his right hand.
Slowthai was nominated for a Grammy award in 2021 and a Mercury prize in 2019

The court heard Mr Frampton had been performing at The Bullingdon music venue in Oxford city centre the previous evening.

After meeting fans afterwards, he went back to his tour bus before being invited to a party at a house where one of the female group lived.

The first woman told the jury she had gone onto the roof of that property with the second woman, Mr Blake-Walker and Mr Frampton.

She said after talking they began kissing consensually, but then Blake-Walker forced her to perform a sex act upon him.

Sheryl Nwosu, representing Mr Blake-Walker, suggested the consensual kissing led to consensual oral sex.

"Not willingly," the woman replied.

"When he pushed me down, I said I didn't want to do that. I said repeatedly I wanted to go back inside."

Denying she was embarrassed, she described why she fled the house, telling the jury: "I wanted to get myself out of a very scary situation."

In a recorded interview with the police, the complainant said she had been "excited" Frampton was going to the house.

The trial continues.

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