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US rapper Kidd Creole – real name Nathaniel Glover who is best known for being a member of pioneering hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five – has been jailed for 16 years for killing a homeless man in New York City. Glover’s lawyers invoked the largely discredited “gay panic” defence, arguing that Creole acted in self-defence and that he genuinely believed that the victim, John Jolly, had been “hitting on him”.

The court heard how, in August 2017, Glover, 62, had encountered Jolly on a Manhattan street and, thinking he was gay, stabbed him to death with a steak knife. He then headed to his place of work and changed his clothes but was arrested the following day.

After learning his sentence, Glover said, “I’m very disappointed in the way that that this whole situation played out. I’ve been portrayed as a callous and senseless [killer]…which is far from the person who I am.

“I’ve been slandered and all this made me seem as if I am a person who actually has no remorse and no repentance.”

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg issues a statement, saying, “Mr Jolly’s death was devastating to his family and those who knew him. Every life we lose to violent crime ripples throughout our entire city, and we will continue to ensure everyone in our borough can live their lives with the sense of safety and security they deserve.”

In addition to his 16-year incarceration, Glover will face a further five years’ post-release supervision. Prosecutors had initially sought a 25-year sentence.

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