A RISING grime artist has promised a judge she will never see him again – after he escaped being jailed for stabbing a love rival during a fight at his ex-girlfriend’s home.
Nathan Hunter, who is making a name for himself as grime artist Skatta, had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to wounding his victim Jack Goldfinch with a small Swiss Army knife.
Hunter (21) of Cash’s Lane, Coventry, was sentenced to 16 months in prison suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to take part in a rehabilitation activity for up to 20 days.
Prosecutor Ian Speed said the incident happened at the home of Hunter’s ex-partner, a flat where he had also previously lived, and where the multi-purpose knife was kept in the bathroom.
On the morning of February 5, his former girlfriend Rayne Murray was in bed at the first-floor Coventry flat with Mr Goldfinch when they were woken by Hunter standing in the bedroom.
Hunter, who had climbed in through the open balcony door, made threats towards Mr Goldfinch, then left the bedroom and tried to punch Mr Goldfinch, who had followed him towards the bathroom.
“Jack punched him and headbutted him and got him into a headlock to try to get him out of the flat. He then felt something to his left side and felt deflated, and he fell to the floor.”
The struggle between them continued, during which Hunter also bit his finger, but then stopped suddenly and Hunter went back onto the balcony where he was shut out, said Mr Speed.
It was then noticed that Mr Goldfinch was bleeding, and Hunter responded by saying: “Yeah, I stabbed him.”
The police were called, and Mr Goldfinch went to hospital where two wounds, which were fortunately superficial, were closed and dressed, and he was given pain killers and a tetanus jab.
When Hunter was arrested he said he had wanted his relationship with Rayne to continue, and when he had called her that morning she had said she was alone.
So he went round and became concerned when he got no answer at the door and saw the balcony door open, so had climbed in, only to be met by the sight of her with Mr Goldfinch.
He added that during the struggle Mr Goldfinch, who was much bigger than him, was getting the better of him, and he had grabbed the knife and stabbed him twice.
Amy Jackson, defending, said: “This is the first time he’s been in trouble.
“He’d been living with this young woman for six months. It was somewhat on and off, but it was only a week or so before that she was at his grandmother’s.
“He went round. He had been to Tesco’s and bought her flowers and breakfast. He went to the door, buzz buzz, and no reply, and then saw the balcony door open.
“He climbs in because he’s concerned about the window being open and him getting no reply, and then he sees Mr Goldfinch in bed with her. She was his first serious girlfriend.”
She said Mr Goldsmith was a boxer, and when Hunter came barging in and acting aggressively, Mr Goldsmith defended himself and got the better of him, which was when Hunter had stabbed him.
Asking the judge to suspend any sentence, Miss Jackson said Hunter, who was apologetic, ‘has quite a lot at stake.’
She explained that after finishing school, he had gone to college where he had hoped to study music, but did not have the necessary grades, so did a plastering course while trying to improve his grades.
He was then about to begin a music course when his mother, with whom he lived at the time, was made redundant, so instead he got a job at McDonalds to try to help pay the rent.
He then went to live with his father, who suffers from bipolar disorder, and who he assists.
Miss Jackson said Hunter is ‘very, very involved in music,’ and people in that industry are standing by him and have written references.
He is a grime rap artist, and is involved with Coventry’s Positive Youth Foundation which works with children to try to give them a creative outlet and steer them away from crime.
She said he had a big break in 2015, performing at a festival in front of 10,000 people, having a song which featured in the UK charts, and doing a tour.
Later this year he is due to perform with the British Youth Foundation, who will be performing one of his songs, and has also been involved in politics, she added.
Sentencing Hunter, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano told him: “You got yourself into a situation where you were very unhappy about a relationship break-down. Everyone in the world knows how that feels, and how unpleasant it may be.
“You made the mistake of going into the house where you had been living with your ex-girlfriend; and when you found her with a new boyfriend, you lost it.
“But the moment when you crossed the line was when you picked up that knife in the bathroom and stabbed him with it.
“Fortunately for you, and for Mr Goldfinch, you didn’t stab him very effectively. You are very, very lucky, and so is he, because if you pick up a knife in an argument you can kill someone, no matter what you intention might be.
“You have put in jeopardy what has been an entirely positive youth and childhood, and your music career, thanks to your hard work, looks as if it is about to take off. I hope we do not meet again.”
And a relieved Hunter assured her: “You will never see me again, I promise you that.”
