Rapper found guilty over gun gesture video reposted on X by Tommy Robinson
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A rapper has been found guilty of posting a “menacing” video on social media in which he swore about Tommy Robinson, mentioned artillery and made a gun gesture while shouting “pow, pow, pow”. Birmingham Magistrates’ Court was told the TikTok video featuring Omar Abdirizak was reposted to X, formerly Twitter, by Robinson on August 10 last year along with a request for West Midlands Police to investigate.
Abdirizak pleaded not guilty to sending a message of a menacing character contrary to the Communications Act 2003 but was convicted after a two-hour trial. Opening the case on Wednesday against the 31-year-old Birmingham-based rapper, known as Twista Cheese, prosecutor Tim Talbot-Webb said references to guns and artillery in the video meant it had crossed the line from freedom of speech into criminality.
The video, which attracted more than two million views, was reposted by Robinson alongside a claim that it was a threat to murder him due to “lies” by the media and politicians, the court heard. In his evidence to the court, Abdirizak denied making direct threats to jailed former English Defence League leader Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
The drill rapper said he had decided to make the video and publicise his music on YouTube and TikTok to his 20,000 followers “to put Tommy Robinson in his place” – after seeing footage of broadcaster Piers Morgan and influencer Andrew Tate discussing issues connected to last summer’s riots.
