A distressing family dispute over a missing toilet roll escalated into violence, as a woman tearfully described how she was assaulted by rapper and creative artist Robert Hunt, also known as Rider Shafique, during a trial at Gloucester Crown Court.
Holly Davis, the victim and partner of Josh Mills, recounted how tensions at the home they shared with Hunt deteriorated, culminating in an argument on December 29, 2023. The disagreement began over the absence of toilet roll on the holder but quickly turned hostile.
Davis testified that Hunt, 48, opened his door aggressively, shouted at them, and grabbed her by the throat, pushing her backwards across a bathroom. “He gripped my neck quite hard and pushed me so I fell over the toilet,” she said. Meanwhile, her partner and Hunt exchanged heated words, during which Hunt allegedly accused Mills of questioning his “blackness” and called Davis a “dutty white girl,” a derogatory racial insult.
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The prosecution argued that these repeated racial slurs made the assault racially aggravated. Davis described the insults as “disgusting,” “racist,” and “belittling.” The situation escalated further when Hunt threatened to use a hammer, raising it above his head in an intimidating manner, leaving Davis terrified for her life.
During cross-examination, Hunt’s defense attorney challenged Davis’s account, questioning the absence of visible injuries and her assertion that Hunt held her by the neck for several seconds. He also suggested that if the strangulation truly occurred, her partner would not have remained passive.
The defense implied that Davis’s assault claim may have been fabricated to support Mills’s self-defense claims after Hunt was wounded in a subsequent knife fight with Mills. Police later took no action against Mills, ruling his response as self-defense.
Despite the defense’s challenges, Davis maintained her testimony, denying any fabrication of the assault allegations. The case continues as the jury considers the evidence presented.