Rider Shafique, a well-known Gloucester performance artist and filmmaker, has been acquitted of racially-aggravated assault charges following a three-day trial. The verdict comes after a dispute within the family escalated in December 2023, during which Shafique himself sustained seven stab wounds.
Known legally as Robert Hunt, Shafique denied all allegations that he assaulted his brother’s partner, Holly Davis, and refuted claims of using racially offensive language. The incident reportedly began over a disagreement about toilet roll availability at their shared Gloucester home and culminated in a violent altercation between Hunt and his brother, Joshua Mills.
Joshua Mills was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder but was released without charge after claiming self-defense in response to the attack. During the trial, defense counsel Leon Lynch argued that Davis’s accusations against Hunt were fabricated to support Mills’s claim that Hunt had threatened them with a hammer.
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Throughout the proceedings, Hunt consistently denied grabbing or pushing Davis or using the phrase “dutty white girl,” which Davis alleged had been directed at her in a racially charged context. He explained to the jury that tensions were high in the household that evening, but he never physically assaulted Davis or used racist language.
Judge Recorder David Chidgey, summing up the defense’s position, highlighted Shafique’s role in community work, including his efforts in race relations and support for foster children. The judge noted that Hunt had never used racist language against Davis and that the police had never been called to the residence before the incident.
Shafique testified that he had recently returned from Barbados and was recovering from kidney stones, which left him physically unwell during the altercation. He emphasized his commitment to combating racism and suggested the allegations were attempts to undermine his reputation.
In cross-examination, Hunt acknowledged feeling angry but denied losing control or making racially motivated remarks. The jury ultimately found him not guilty of all charges.