A warrant has been issued for Wiley‘s arrest after he failed to turn up for his court hearing yesterday (September 27).
The London rapper – whose real name is Richard Cowie – was charged with burglary and assault last month (August 28). He is alleged to have broken into kickboxer Ali Jacko’s house and kicked him while he was relaxing with friends.
It was reported that Jacko, whose recording studio had been used by Wiley pre-pandemic, “sustained a minor injury” during the incident. Cowie is also said to have smashed 28 plates at the property.
As Mixmag reports, Wiley did not turn up for his scheduled court hearing in east London on Monday. District judge Ross Johnson has now issued a “warrant not backed for bail” order, meaning that the rapper can be arrested and brought into court.
Wiley was initially due to appear in court on September 13, but he was granted an adjournment to September 27 in order to give him more time to prepare. He has been on conditional bail since being charged.
Cowie represented himself at Thames Magistrates’ Court on September 13, where he faced charges of assault by beating and burglary with intent to cause criminal damage. No pleas were entered on this date.
Upon Wiley’s arrest, Metropolitan Police said in an official statement: “At around 2200hrs on Saturday 28 August police were called to a flat in Forest Gate. Officers attended the location.
“It was alleged that a man had entered the flat, assaulted the occupant and caused criminal damage to property. The man was arrested and taken into custody. The occupant, an adult male, sustained a minor injury.”
Wiley was honoured with an MBE in the 2018 New Years Honours for services to music.
In 2020, the rapper faced backlash after making anti-Semitic comments that led to his eventual suspension from social media sites and a review of his MBE by the Cabinet Office.
Wiley later publicly apologised for the comments in an interview with Sky News, claiming that he was “not racist”.
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