A rapper accused of posting a “menacing” viral video about Tommy Robinson on social media has been found guilty of sharing the footage in which he swore about the far-right figure and referred to guns and artillery.
Omar Abdirizak, who is a Birmingham-based rapper known as Twista Cheese, stood trial on Wednesday after previously pleading not guilty over the footage in which he made a gun gesture while shouting “pow, pow, pow”.
The court was told the TikTok video featuring Abdirizak, 31, was reposted to X, formerly Twitter, by Robinson on 10 August last year along with a request for West Midlands Police to investigate.
The 31-year-old defendant, of Long Street, Sparkbrook, was convicted of sending a message of a menacing character contrary to the Communications Act 2003 after the two-hour trial at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.
Opening the case against Abdirizak on Wednesday, 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.
“I am saying, if you come – self-defence,” he told the court. “Even when I say ‘bam, bam, bam’, this is all entertainment.”
The singer denied making a gun gesture in the video and claimed references to artillery were encouragement for viewers to seek out a music video made in Mogadishu, Somalia, which featured rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
During the minute-long video reposted by Robinson, which was played to the court, Abdirizak, wearing a patterned hoodie and grey jogging bottoms, said he was a Somali pirate.
He also said he had a message for Robinson, before adding he had “Muslims in every corner” and “look at the artillery we’ve got”.
Mr Talbot-Webb said of the video, apparently filmed outside a shop: “Menacing means causing fear or apprehension. The context is important. This was going on when there was indeed disorder aimed at mosques and other institutions. The Crown say that by making references to pirates and artillery… any member of the public seeing that could well have been caused apprehension of serious violence.”
Finding Abdirizak guilty, District Judge David Wain said the Twista Cheese music video made in Somalia, which was not played to the court, showed possession of firearms, albeit outside the UK.
The “natural meaning” of the video mentioning Robinson and featuring a “gesture as if holding a rifle” was a reference to such firearms, Mr Wain said.
“Having heard the defendant’s evidence I am satisfied that this was the intended meaning of the communication rather than an attempt to promote his music,” the judge said.
Abdirizak was granted conditional bail for sentencing on 12 February after the court expressed concern at “hidden disabilities” that needed to be explored, including mental health issues.
He will also be sentenced for possession of cannabis and a racially aggravated public order offence.
