Slowthai and Alex Walker’s court hearing has been delayed
The 28-year-old rapper Tyron Frampton, best known by his stage name Slowthai, was accused of two counts of raping a woman in Oxford on September 8th, 2021. The incident allegedly occurred several hours after his performance on the night of September 7th, when he performed a sold-out concert at The Bullingdon.
When Frampton first appeared before Oxfordshire Magistrates Court in May 2023, he was charged with oral and vaginal penetration of a woman without consent. On Monday, July 1st, the rapper was scheduled to appear at Oxford Crown Court alongside his co-defendant Alex Walker for another hearing. However, the trial has been delayed until autumn due to unforeseen circumstances.
In 2023, Frampton and Walker were granted bail on the condition that they inform their solicitors of their whereabouts. Frampton’s wife, Anne-Marie, who is yet to comment publicly on the case, performed at Glastonbury Festival on the weekend.
In a new statement, Judge Ian Pringle announced that the hearing has now been cancelled. “It was impossible to accommodate the trial for this date,” he said. The trial at Oxford Crown Court has been rescheduled for November 25th, 2024.
Following Frampton’s initial charges last year, the rapper vehemently denied any wrongdoing. “Regarding the allegations being reported about me,” he posted on social media. “I categorically deny the charges. I am innocent and confident my name will be cleared. Until then, I will apply my energy to ensure this is concluded swiftly and justly.”
Signing off his statement, Frampton pleaded with his fans not to judge him on inconclusive evidence. “I ask that my supporters don’t comment about this situation and respect the process and privacy of my family during this time,” he wrote.
Following his charges, Frampton was removed from several festival bookings in the summer of 2023, including the Glastonbury Festival and Reading & Leeds. He subsequently cancelled all scheduled live dates while he sought to vindicate himself.
Prior to the alleged rape case, Slowthai was nominated for a Grammy award in 2021 and a Mercury prize in 2019 for his debut album of that year, Nothing Great About Britain. He has also been honoured with trophies at the NME Awards and UK Music Video Awards.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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