Grime artist Solo45 ‘waterboarded’ woman and said he wanted to play ‘rape game’, court told

A grime artist accused of holding four women against their will said he wanted to play a “rape game” and leave a woman “in tears, bruised and in agony”, a court has heard.

Rapper Solo 45, whose real name in Andy Anokye, is charged with rape, false imprisonment and assault relating to four women.

Anokye, a member of the grime collective Boy Better Know, was said to have exchanged text messages with one of the women before “waterboarding” her at his flat in Bristol.

The woman’s head was dunked under “freezing cold” water and she had been “scared she was going to die”, a friend of the woman told Bristol Crown Court.

Jurors heard text exchanges between Anokye and the complainant before the encounter, including one message from Anokye which read: “I want to play a game with you. It is very rough but you may like it.”

He told the woman they would go to Primark to buy “cheap clothes”.

The woman asked if the clothes would be ripped off, adding that she did not think the clothes sold there would be “sexy”.

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 the trial, the woman said she was “concerned” by the messages but “never thought this would happen”.

She added that the conversation had caught her “off guard”.

On a later date, Anokye allegedly waterboarded the woman, held her against her will and raped her.

He later sent the alleged victim footage of the incident, the court heard.

In later messages, he 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.”

A friend of the woman said she disclosed that Anokye had abused her months later.

“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.”

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

This refers to sexual arousal from seeing tears or hearing the sound of crying.

Anokye, of Millennium Promenade, Bristol, denies all 31 charges against him.

The trial continues.

(c) Sky News 2019: Grime artist Solo45 ‘waterboarded’ woman and said he wanted to play ‘rape game’, court told