Kano assault trial dropped after alleged victim ‘goes on climbing holiday’

The grime MC has been cleared of the charges

Grime MC Kano has seen his trial for assault dropped after the alleged victim went on a climbing holiday instead of attending proceedings.

The star (real name Kane Robinson, 32) and co-defendant Christopher Brown had been accused of attacking Henry Kinman and then-girlfriend Suzzan Atala at East London private members’ club Shoreditch House last December.

The Evening Standard reports that Kinman had been called to appear as a key witness at Wood Green crown court this week but allegedly told police that he couldn’t attend due to a “family emergency”. However, the rapper’s lawyers accused Kinman of lying and going on a climbing holiday instead after it emerged that the individual had posted apparently incriminating photos to social media.

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“Any concern that this was a gentleman apparently engaged in focusing on his sister’s welfare over and above other activities has by his own posts on Twitter has been eradicated,” said prosecutor Roger Smart, who added that police and the Crown Prosecution Service would look further into Kinman’s actions.

“The scenario is in the last few days if not weeks, while Mr Kinman was dangling from a rope enjoying the scenic view in the south of France, having told the police he was the victim of a family emergency, Mr Robinson was overcome with anxiety at the prospect of  a trial and devastation of his career,” defence barrister Jeremy Dein QC said.

“This is not just lamentable, but of the gravest type of misconduct, if Mr Kinman has indeed toyed with the criminal justice process in the manner the material suggests he might have done,” he added.

Judge Gregory Perrins formally entered not guilty pleas against Robinson and Brown, saying: “Apparently Mr Kinman deliberately failed to attend, and also appears on the face of it to have deliberately misled the prosecution.” He also said that the defendants could walk free “without a stain on your character”.

Kano had denied charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, unlawful wounding, and affray. Co-defendant Brown denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

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Kano’s fifth album ‘Made in the Manor’ was released in March 2016.

Speaking to NME last year, Kano revealed how he was once contacted by Dwayne Johnson. “The Rock got in touch!”, he said. “He was gonna fly from Barcelona to Glastonbury to watch me, but we didn’t get the email until after the show. Maybe he read my name wrong. It’s Kano, not Kanye!”

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