‘Orgy was happening’ at Oxford party where rapper Slowthai and friend accused of rape

Slowthai, whose real name is Tyron Frampton, 29, and his co-accused, Alex Blake-Walker, 27, are standing trial at Oxford Crown Court, where they deny three joint charges of rape and one charge of sexual assault involving two women.

The alleged assaults took place after the Northampton rapper performed at The Bullingdon music venue in Oxford on September 7, 2021. Following the gig, the two women attended a party at a friend's house, which Frampton and Blake-Walker joined.

Navinder Nangla, a friend of Frampton and a stylist on the rapper’s tour, was at the party for about 10 minutes before hearing someone mention what was supposedly happening upstairs. Nangla, who was in the living room with other guests, told the court: “One girl had said she is a slag, and another girl said ‘there is an orgy happening.’ We really didn’t take much notice of it.”

Nangla added that there was a lot of shouting and screaming at the party, with one girl saying “this girl is not meant to be here.” However, he didn’t know who the comment about the orgy referred to or which room it was allegedly taking place in.

The prosecution claims that after the gig, the two women, Frampton, and Blake-Walker went to the roof of the house, where the alleged rapes occurred. It is alleged that Blake-Walker raped one woman while being encouraged by Frampton, and that Frampton raped the other woman twice, also with encouragement from Blake-Walker. Both men are accused of sexually assaulting the woman Frampton is alleged to have raped.

On Monday, Nangla described seeing Frampton alone on the roof and said the rapper seemed “happy, just jolly and having a good time.” He noted that Frampton appeared to jump off the roof, as it was not very high.

A burst of shouting and swearing erupted as Nangla made his way to the front door with Frampton. He recalled: “Some girls (were) shouting, saying ‘we have lost respect, just go, get out.’” Nangla said that after leaving the house, he felt “more confused than anything” about the situation.

Frampton and Blake-Walker, who deny all charges, have also faced statements from the alleged victims. One of the women said she was attacked on the roof of the property after meeting Frampton at The Bullingdon bar. She claimed that after drinking and taking drugs, including ketamine and cocaine, she was assaulted by the two men.

Frampton has admitted to engaging in sexual activity with the second complainant but insists that she consented. He also acknowledged “fist-bumping” Blake-Walker during the encounter but denied that this was an act of encouragement.

Testimonies have also been presented in defence of Frampton. Adam Royal, a marketing executive who counts Frampton as a friend, described him as “lovely, friendly, fun, great to be around and just to be a friend with.” Royal stated that he had never seen Frampton behave inappropriately toward fans, including female ones.

Defence counsel Patrick Gibbs asked Royal if he had ever seen Frampton engage in non-consensual behaviour, to which Royal replied, “No. It is a million miles away from anything I have come to know of him.”

Musician Delilah Gendler, who has known Frampton for seven years, also testified, stating that Frampton treated people with respect and was serious about his career. Gendler said in a statement read to the court that she had never seen Frampton overstep boundaries or make anyone feel uncomfortable, adding that he was “extremely generous with his time and had a good heart.”

The trial continues.