Rapper Slowthai appears in court denying two charges of rape

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Rapper Slowthai has appeared in court denying two charges of rape and will face trial next year.

The 28-year-old, whose real name is Tyron Frampton, entered his pleas during a brief hearing at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday. He is accused of raping a woman twice on September 8, 2021.

Co-accused Alex Blake-Walker, 25, pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the woman Frampton is accused of raping during the same alleged incident.

Blake-Walker, of Wallbutton Road, south London also denied charges of rape and sexual assault against a second complainant.

A trial is due to take place on July 1 next and is expected to last two weeks.

Judge Michael Gledhill KC released the two defendants on conditional bail until their trial.

The rapper, of Wellingborough Road, Northampton was nominated for a Grammy award in 2021 and a Mercury prize in 2019.

He has won gongs at the NME Awards and UK Music Video Awards.

The musician has recently withdrawn from a scheduled performance at Wembley Stadium alongside Britpop band Blur and Self Esteem at the show on July 8.

He has also been removed from the line-ups of several major UK festivals including Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds this summer.