Solo 45 trial: Grime artist wanted to play ‘rape game’ with woman, court told

Boy Better Know star allegedly waterboarded victims and threatened to electrocute them

Andy Anokye was a member of the grime collective Boy Better Know (Getty)

A grime star accused of holding four women against their will told one he wanted to play a “rape game”, a court has heard.

Andy Anokye, 32, who performs under the stage name Solo 45, denies 31 charges against him at Bristol Crown Court.

The charges, relating to four complainants, include 22 counts of rape and five counts of false imprisonment.

He also denies two charges of assault by penetration and two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Jurors have been told that Mr Anokye, who had a flat in Bristol, was a member of the grime collective Boy Better Know.

On Tuesday, the court heard text message exchanges between Mr Anokye and one of the complainants in the case.

One message from Mr Anokye read: “I want to play a game with you. It is very rough but you may like it.”

Mr Anokye told the woman they would go to Primark and buy “cheap clothes”.

She asked whether the clothes would be ripped off, adding she did not think items sold there were “sexy”.

Mr Anokye replied: “It is the raping part that is. The game is called catch me and rape me.

“You will be in tears, bruised and in agony.”

Giving evidence at Bristol Crown Court, the woman said the conversation caught her “off guard”.

She told the jury she was “concerned” by the messages but “never thought this would happen”.

On a later date, Mr Anokye is accused of waterboarding the woman, holding her against her will and raping her.

He filmed part of the alleged incident and sent her the footage, the court heard.

In later messages, Mr Anokye told her: “I made it perfectly clear that you could leave at any time.

“I also asked you not to speak as if you were under duress.”

During cross-examination by Sally O’Neil QC, representing Mr Anokye, the woman said she was aware of his dacryphilia.

Jurors have been told this is sexual arousal from another person’s tears.

A friend of the woman said she disclosed that Mr Anokye had abused her months after the alleged incident.

“The first thing she said to me was ‘he waterboarded me’,” the friend told the court.

“They were together having a really nice evening together, or what she thought was a nice evening.

“She woke up and Andy said ‘now you will learn who’s the boss’ and basically ran a bath for her of really cold water, freezing cold.

“He proceeded to dunk her head under the water. She said she was literally tortured.

“She said how she had been raped. She said she was terrified and she was scared she was going to die.”

Mr Anokye denies all the charges against him. The trial continues.

Press Association