Pa Salieu jailed for over two years on violent disorder charge
The U.K. rapper was sentenced over the 2018 incident on Friday.
Rapper Pa Salieu has been jailed after he admitted a charge of violent disorder, Sky News reports. Appearing in court under his real name, Pa Salieu Gaye, the 25-year-old U.K.-based artist was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.
The violent disorder charge relates to an incident involving a lone victim in September 2018 in his hometown Coventry, England. Salieu was caught on CCTV hitting the victim with a tree branch a number of times. Jurors heard how the victim, 23, spent 10 days in hospital recovering.
Additionally, Salieu was convicted of possessing a bottle as an offensive weapon. Appearing at Warwick Crown Court he told the jury that he had smashed and brandished it to defend himself.
The incident took place on the same night Salieu's best friend was fatally stabbed. Fidel Glasgow, grandson of The Specials singer Neville Staple, was 21 at the time of his death. As yet no one has been charged with the murder.
Since the night of the incident four years ago Salieu has released the 2020 mixtape Send Them to Coventry plus EP Afrikan Rebel a year later. Prior to handing out his sentence, a judge noted that the rapper had "done a good deal more than just behave himself" since the 2018 attack.
Earlier this year Salieu told fans how he was removed from appearing at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games over a previous criminal conviction.
The FADER has contacted a representative for Salieu for comment.