Latest news with #RhysHerbert
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Britain's 'most hated drill rapper' is hauled to court AGAIN from his prison cell after driving his £200,000 Lamborghini without insurance near Piccadilly Circus
A drill star dubbed the most 'hated rapper in London' has been convicted of driving a £200,000-plus Lamborghini without insurance close to Piccadilly Circus, MailOnline can reveal. Digga D was prosecuted over the incident in 2023 while languishing in HMP Brixton where he is currently serving more than three years for drugs offences. The 24-year-old star, whose birth name is Rhys Herbert, has been convicted of driving the supercar without insurance on Piccadilly in the West End of London in October 2023. Piccadilly Circus is where he has filmed his music videos in the past, once shutting it down when he was mobbed by fans who scaled the world-famous statue of Eros. He faces an unlimited fine and a potential driving ban, according to court documents, and may even appear at Bexley Magistrates' Court from his London jail via video link when he is sentenced. Digga D is currently serving time for importing and dealing close to 50kg of cannabis. He was arrested last year and lives-streamed the moment armed police crashed into his home. Digga, as he is called by his fans, has multiple convictions for gang-related crime and drugs with friends claiming he had earned up to £3million from rapping before he was jailed four months ago. He told a court last year that he began smoking drugs aged 12. His use of rap songs and videos to goad rivals and glorify violence has seen him dubbed 'London's most hated rapper' online due to the number of enemies he has. Herbert, from west London, was even subject to a ultra-rare police order that controls his musical output because it was linked to violence. On one occasion he was almost blinded when stabbed in the eye by a rival during a previous spell in jail for a machete attack. On another occasion someone tried to kill him by opening fire on him in his car, MailOnline understands. In January this year Digga D was jailed for three years and 11 months for selling 45 kilos of cannabis after helping import the illegal drug from the US. He was arrested after police launched a raid on his property in Bracebridge Heath near Lincoln in the early hours of February 21 last year - while he was broadcasting live on Instagram . He pleaded guilty last May to importing 3.6 kilos of cannabis in June and July 2023 and a further charge of supplying cannabis. At his sentencing in January Judge Simon Hirst decided on the level of Herbert's drug dealing after hearing two days of evidence, because the prosecution did not accept the basis of his pleas. Judge Hirst said he was satisfied Herbert had played a significant role in selling cannabis for a commercial profit and jailed him for just under four years. Digga can be heard shouting: 'What do you lot want, I'm here! I am here! Stop! What are you lot doing?' with the sound of smashing glass in the background The court heard Herbert had six previous convictions for 13 offences, including possessing an offensive weapon and violent disorder for which he was sentenced to 30 months youth detention in March 2020. Herbert told a previous hearing that he began smoking cannabis from the age of 12 and used the drug throughout his teenage years to "help with his frequent migraines". He claimed it was 'a benefit' to buy his cannabis in bulk as he could afford it and it proved cheaper. The musician said buying in bulk also reduced the chance of him coming to the attention of the police as he was often stopped both in London and elsewhere in the country. He said he also obtained bags of cannabis to use in the video for his hit song I'm From. Mobile phone footage of the star handling a bag of cannabis and allegedly complaining about the poor quality was also played in court. A number of photographs also showed Herbert handling large amounts of cash, the court was told. His criminal past goes back to his teenage years. He last left prison in May 2020 after being sentenced to two and a half years for his part in a machete brawl in front of shoppers in central London. Digga D (pictured centre) invited his fan base to join him in Piccadilly Circus in London when he filmed a new music video in 2023. It was nearby where he was caught driving the Lamborghini Anti-knife campaigners also criticised the BBC for producing a documentary about a violent rapper in which he complains about his struggle to make music that glorifies gang attacks. BBC promotional material for the programme at the time stated: 'Police say they target drill because it promotes and causes violence, but the genre's supporters call this censorship and say that the art simply reflects real life. Digga's situation, and his ongoing story, embodies this dilemma. A Metropolitan Police order even banned him rapping about rivals or specific attacks, although he can refer to violence generally. His supporters said he was being censored. But he had hidden apparent coded references to attacks in songs, and the name of his group, The Conspiracy Gang Members, is thought to be a 'tribute' to members of his 1011 drill gang arrested in 2018 on their way to attack rivals. In 2018 five members of the 1011 gang, including Digga D, were jailed and banned from making violent videos after they were caught with machetes and baseball bats on the way to attack a rival gang in 2017. They had got in a black car and drove towards the postcode area of their rival's, the '12 World Gang' from Shepherd's Bush, intent on revenge. But police swooped and found they were carrying deadly weapons. A judge banned the five young men from mentioning death or injury in their songs or on social media and ordered them to inform police before they record or perform songs. In 2019 cyber criminals broke into the Metropolitan Police Twitter account and posted tweets calling for the release of Digga D from jail. In a now-deleted tweet the hackers wrote: 'FREE DIGGA D ON FOENEM GANG.' The account, which is normally only used to update the public on ongoing policing matters, had posted tweets that said: ''F*** the police' and 'What you gonna do ... phone the police?' In one video viewed nearly three million times, on YouTube Digga D boasted about having to bleach his knife after using it to attack someone. His songs are also explicit about sex as well as gang rivalries in London.
Express Tribune
31-01-2025
- Express Tribune
Rapper Digga D jailed for nearly four years for supplying cannabis
UK drill rapper Rhys Herbert, known professionally as Digga D, has been sentenced to three years and 11 months in prison for supplying 99 pounds (45kg) of cannabis. The 24-year-old was arrested at his home in Lincoln on February 21, 2024, while streaming on Instagram Live. Herbert, from Notting Hill, London, had pleaded guilty in May to two charges related to the importation and distribution of the Class B drug. However, Herbert denied involvement in the commercial sale of up to 132 pounds (60kg) of cannabis at Lincoln Crown Court. After a two-day trial in December, Judge Simon Hirst concluded that Herbert had played a significant role in the drug operation, deciding that he had supplied at least 99 pounds of cannabis for commercial profit. Judge Hirst noted that Herbert's role was significant, as he expected considerable financial gain from the operation, which involved others in collecting and returning cannabis. Given the seriousness of the offense, the judge imposed a custodial sentence. Herbert, who has a criminal record with six prior convictions, including for violent disorder and possession of a blade, was on remand at HMP Wormwood Scrubs at the time of the sentencing. His defense lawyer, James Scobie KC, expressed disappointment over Herbert's time behind bars, but argued that he was not a public danger. Detective Constable Jacob Saville emphasized that the evidence against Herbert was 'irrefutable' and underscored the devastating impact of drug-related crimes on communities.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
UK drill rapper Digga D jailed for supplying cannabis
UK drill star Digga D has been sentenced to three years and 11 months' imprisonment for supplying 45kg of cannabis after he was arrested on an Instagram livestream. The 24-year-old musician, whose real name is Rhys Herbert, previously pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the importation and supply of the Class B drug. Herbert, of Lonsdale Road in Notting Hill, London, was arrested near Lincoln on February 21 last year while livestreaming on Instagram. During a two-day trial of issue, known as a Newton hearing, in December, prosecutors said Herbert played a role in supplying up to 60kg of cannabis, which he denied. He appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday via video-link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs, where Judge Simon Hirst told him he was 'satisfied' the rapper had been in possession of 50.65kg of cannabis and had sold at least 45kg for profit. The judge was sure Herbert supplied drugs over a period of seven months between January 2023 and July 2023, and sentenced him to nearly four years – which he will spend up to half in custody. The rapper, who previously told the court he had used the drug since he was 12 years old, has been in custody since he was arrested in February last year. The judge told Herbert: 'I am satisfied you were involved in supplying at least 45kg. 'It is agreed you had a significant role on the basis you expected significant financial advantage. On occasions others were involved in the operation of returning and collecting cannabis. 'The level of the offending is so serious that there must be a sentence of imprisonment.' Prosecutor Aaron Dinnes told the sentencing hearing that Herbert had six convictions for 13 previous offences, which included possession of a blade and violent disorder. James Scobie KC, defending Herbert, said: 'This is absolutely a first offence in terms of drug supply. 'In respect of him as a dealer, this is not really a case of somebody who had a large number of people. It was a single occasion he directed one person to pick up some drugs, who happened to be a friend. 'He does not have a team, this is very much a one-man band. 'The defendant has been away now since February of last year. There is a very much positive side, legitimate side, to this young man's life in respect of his work which is that of a performer and a writer to some degree of international notoriety and following. 'It is very, very sad and disappointing that he has had at the very least a year of his productive working life behind bars. 'He's not a danger to the public, he's actually a contributor to the public.' The court heard a letter from Herbert's mother suggested that since being in custody, her son had been reading the Bible daily and was 'remorseful for what he had done'. Detective Constable Jacob Saville, of the Metropolitan Police, said: 'Rhys Herbert has already admitted to his role in the importation and supply of large quantities of cannabis; now a judge has reviewed all of the evidence and determined he played a significant role in this operation. 'As soon as we became aware of the various messages and information held on Herbert's phone, detectives began to compile a wealth of evidence that proved his involvement was irrefutable. 'Drugs and the associated criminality they bring devastates communities and we will continue to identify and arrest those responsible who engage in this activity.'
Sky News
31-01-2025
- Sky News
Drill star Digga D jailed for almost four years for supplying cannabis
Drill star Digga D has been jailed for almost four years for supplying 45kg of cannabis after he was arrested during an Instagram livestream. The musician, whose real name is Rhys Herbert, pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the importation and supply of the Class B drug. Herbert, 24, from Notting Hill in London, was arrested on 21 February last year while livestreaming on Instagram. During a two-day trial of issue - known as a Newton hearing - in December, prosecutors said Herbert played a role in supplying up to 60kg of cannabis. He denied this. Appearing from prison via video link, Judge Simon Hirst told him he was "satisfied" the rapper had been in possession of 50.65kg of cannabis and had sold at least 45kg for profit. "The level of the offending is so serious that there must be a sentence of imprisonment," he said, before jailing him for three years and 11 months. Herbert will have to serve half his sentence in custody. The prosecutor told the sentencing hearing Herbert had six convictions for 13 previous offences - including possession of a blade and violent disorder. Defending, James Scobie KC said: "He does not have a team, this is very much a one-man band. "The defendant has been away now since February of last year. There is a very much positive side, legitimate side, to this young man's life in respect of his work which is that of a performer and a writer to some degree of international notoriety and following. "It is very, very sad and disappointing that he has had at the very least a year of his productive working life behind bars. "He's not a danger to the public, he's actually a contributor to the public." A letter was read to the court from Herbert's mother, who said since being in jail he had been reading the Bible daily and was "remorseful for what he had done". Detective Constable Jacob Saville, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "Rhys Herbert has already admitted to his role in the importation and supply of large quantities of cannabis; now a judge has reviewed all of the evidence and determined he played a significant role in this operation."
BBC News
31-01-2025
- BBC News
Digga D jailed for supplying cannabis for commercial profit
A leading UK drill star has been jailed for three years and 11 months for supplying 99lbs (45kg) of D, whose name is Rhys Herbert, was arrested at his property near Lincoln in the early hours of 21 February while broadcasting on Instagram of Lonsdale Road in Notting Hill, London, pleaded guilty in May to two charges relating to the importation and supply of cannabis. However, the 24-year-old denied being involved in commercial sale of up to 132lbs (60kg) of the Class B drug at Lincoln Crown Court but the basis of his pleas were not accepted. During a two-day trial of the issue, known as a Newton Hearing, in December, Judge Simon Hirst decided on the level of Herbert's drug sentence Judge Hirst said he was "satisfied" Herbert had played a significant role in supplying cannabis and had sold at least 99lbs (45kg) for a commercial judge told Herbert: "It is agreed you had a significant role on the basis you expected significant financial advantage. On occasions others were involved in the operation of returning and collecting cannabis."The level of the offending is so serious that there must be a sentence of imprisonment." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
