Jury Told: Rap Star’s Gang Attempted to Acquire Guns in Plot to Kill Rival
A famous ‘rap star’ currently in Dubai has been revealed in court as a co-conspirator in a plot to shoot his main rival.
Eight alleged gang members are on trial in Kingston-upon-Thames, facing charges for attempting to purchase firearms to shoot a rival drill rapper.
Marvin Bailey, known as Fredo and described as a “high profile well-known rap star,” is listed as a co-conspirator in the indictment, with one of the potential targets being Digga D, also known as Rhys Herbert.
Jayvon Tison, Kylann Grannum, Mustafa Abdalla, Romello Briggs-Leon, Harry Crump, Abraham Safo Frimpong, Yasin Abdulla, and Herman Yikalo deny the charges of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent between July and November 2022.
They also deny a second charge of conspiracy to contravene the Prisons Act, involving smuggling mobile phones into jails between September 2022 and May 2023.
Mr. Crump specifically denies two additional charges of possessing Class A drugs with intent.
According to the prosecution, all eight defendants are part of the Harrow Road Boys (HRB), also known as the Pattern Gang, from central London postcodes W9 and W10, particularly the Mozart estate.
The HRB has a history of violent opposition with other gangs, often resulting in deadly confrontations.
‘Violence Glorified in Drill rap Videos’
Drill rap videos glorify violence, fueling animosity between gangs, as highlighted by incidents like the deaths of Billy McCullagh and Jeffrey Wegbe in 2020.
During the trial, evidence from a Snapchat group containing 33 HRB members discussing gang activities, firearms procurement, and smuggling phones to inmates has been presented.
The prosecution also mentions previous convictions of Babiker Addalla and Mohammed Mohammed for similar charges.
The involvement of Fredo, a prominent figure in the gang, has been emphasized based on evidence discovered during police operations.
The trial is set to continue until August.
