US rapper ASAP Bari has avoided jail for sexual assault after a video emerged of him slapping a woman's naked bottom in a London hotel room. The judge said Shelton had a "very unpleasant attitude" towards women after she was shown footage of him pulling the covers from the naked woman as she lay in bed, before slapping her bottom as she told him to "stop".
He attacked her in the early hours of July 10 after they both attended the Wireless Festival music event in Finsbury Park, where Chance the Rapper, Skepta and The Weeknd headlined. Shelton, who had been expected to plead not guilty, admitted one count of sexual assault against the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when he appeared at the Old Bailey today.
Judge Zoe Smith QC told Shelton: "The court does have concerns in this matter because it has exposed a very unpleasant attitude by you towards women. She added: "You say that you were angry but there is no need to ever be so abusive and humiliating to a female. Prosecuting, James Lofthouse said Shelton first approached his victim as she waited for a taxi after the festival. Mr Lofthouse said: "He [Shelton] walked up to her and propositioned her, if I can put it that way.
She said no. Mr Lofthouse went on: "She was then woken at around 4. Mr Lofthouse said: "She then moved hastily towards the bathroom. He slapped her naked buttocks as she did so and she was saying, 'Honestly, Bari, no stop. Police were later called to the hotel and the woman initially denied she had been assaulted, but she reported the assault several days later when footage emerged online. Shelton's barrister, Gideon Cammerman QC, told the court his client had already spent a week in custody after his initial arrest.
Mr Cammerman said: "The publicity that this case has attracted has already caused very significant financial loss to him, the loss of very significant contracts and other matters. The bearded fashion designer, who sported several tattoos across his shaved head, had arrived at the court wearing a ski mask to shield his face and a designer padded jacket. He stood in the dock wearing a black suit and white shirt without a tie, along with a pair of Nike trainers, and showed little emotion as he admitted the charge.
