November 30, 2009 11:01

London rappers jailed for YouTube witness threat video

Pair sentenced for threatening Jason Johnson murder witness

Two London men have been jailed for posting a a video of them threatening a murder witness by rapping about shooting them.

Ishmael McLean was jailed for four years, while Rowan Simon was jailed for ten months for posting the video, which threatened the witness to the murder of Jason Johnson, who died last November.

The sentences, for perverting the course of justice, were handed down by Judge Richard Hone at the Old Bailey in the UK capital on Friday (November 28), reports BBC News.

McLean also received a year-long sentence for possessing ammunition.

The video was entitled Wrong Team and featured the lyrics "I can't wait for the snitch to drop/ I still show up at his wake just to see him off" plus gunfire sound effects.

"Those who went chitter-chattering to police were themselves in danger of being shot," Hone said, assessing the video's message.

Speaking of its significance for future similar cases, he said: "It is a grim prospect for British justice."