Revenge porn rapper caused six-hour pub roof standoff in Kingstanding hurling bricks at police

Akim Nicholson, aged 35, hid out at the Kingstanding Inn while he was wanted for revenge porn then went on a rampage after police found him

A rapper behind a sickening revenge porn offence against a woman caused a six-hour standoff on the roof of a Birmingham pub when police found him. Akim Nicholson stayed at the Kingstanding Inn to hide out while he was a wanted man in January this year.

But when two police officers confronted him he violently attacked them. He punched one in the face and then caused himself and both constables to tumble down a flight of stairs before he brandished a kitchen knife and waved it at them.

Nicholson retreated to his room but by the time backup arrived he had escaped on to the roof, where he remained for hours pelting bricks and fire extinguishers at officers before finally surrendering. Today, on what is his 35th birthday, Nicholson was jailed for four years.

READ MORE: Ex-West Midlands Police trainee officer 'raped woman and sexually attacked two more', court told

The one-time aspiring rapper, from Holcombe Road, Tyseley, was found guilty of disclosing a private sexual video. He had previously admitted affray, threatening another with a knife, three counts of assaulting an emergency worker, causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress and criminal damage. Appearing on a video link from HMP Birmingham he asked: "Do I get that 40 per cent release or na?"

Judge Paul Farrer KC told him he would serve up to half of the sentence in custody but added that the Early Release Scheme was not a matter for the court. A trial heard that Nicholson uploaded an explicit video compilation of a woman performing a sex act to his social media accounts.

He also tagged the victim in and urged other people to share it, including someone he knew who had more than 2,000 followers. Spiteful Nicholson then messaged the victim telling her 'you're finished' and 'your whole year just got ruined', as he hurled vile verbal abuse at her and said he wanted to make her go 'viral'.

Bravely giving evidence the woman admitted she initially felt like quitting her job and moving home, but she also expressed gratitude for the support she has received since. In a statement she added: "I have to deal with the shame of knowing millions of people have seen indecent videos and images of me. It makes me feel degraded as a woman.

"I feel discredited as though I am just some sort of sex object when I look in the mirror or when strangers look at me this is the way I think they view me. I don't think this will ever leave me. He achieved what he wanted to."

Nicholson was wanted for the revenge porn offence when he stayed at the Kingstanding Inn on Warren Farm Road on January 16 this year. By chance, officers attended the pub at 11.30am whilst investigating an entirely separate matter that had nothing to do with him.

Dr Olivia Whitworth, prosecuting, said: "While viewing CCTV the manager of the public house mentioned there was a man staying who had been acting suspiciously and causing concern to her and her colleagues. They described him as a large male staying in room 16 and having paid in cash.

"He was said to have been making comments such as 'when I have been wanted by the police before I have stayed here and I want to do it again'. A few minutes later a further staff member approached stating he was in the bar area."

The court heard Nicholson tried to run out of the main entrance before he turned back on himself and ran up to the top of the stairs. One of the officers pursued him but the defendant responded by running at him along the corridor and punching him in the face.

Dr Whitworth said the second officer caught up and tried to pull Nicholson to the ground but he 'overpowered them' and all three of them 'tumbled down the flight of stairs and landed on the floor'. She told the court during the ensuing struggle the defendant pulled out a nine-inch long kitchen knife and started to swing it down at the officers, one of whom deployed his PAVA spray to Nicholson's face.

Nicholson wriggled free and backup was requested. Dr Whitworth said: "A dog unit and a taser unit arrived shortly afterwards and attended room 16 before making entry with keys. A window was open and the defendant was pacing up and down on the roof making threats such as 'first copper up here is getting it, if I'm going back to prison I'll do something worthwhile to send me back'."

He made further chilling warnings including: 'If you come up here I’m gonna do you’, 'I’ll get one of ya in the neck', 'this knife is for a copper today' and 'if I am going to jail, I’m going to take an officer like, swear down'. Nicholson continued to pace on the roof for hours as a cordon was placed around the pub.

He threw roof tiles and rubble down causing double glazed windows to smash. He also caused damage to a police car by launching a fire extinguisher and struck an officer in the helmet with a brick. At one stage he issued racist abuse at an Asian constable who had remained on the roof with him for three hours.

Nicholson ultimately came down at 8.03pm after a standoff lasting more than six and a half hours, Judge Farrer estimated. He said: "You caused officers minor injuries, fear and distress. You occupied valuable police resources for many hours. As observed, your actions were deliberate, selfish and placed officers at risk of harm."

Nicholson has 26 convictions for 58 offences including crimes relevant to his latest law-breaking spree as well as inflicting grievous bodily harm, robbery and kidnapping. He has become a notorious criminal in Birmingham and we have previously reported how he smashed up a dock at the city's magistrates' court, causing a dock officer to fall down a flight of stairs, suffering serious injuries.

Birmingham Live also detailed his act of spiteful revenge against his own mother in 2022 after he broke into her home, following being kicked out, and trashed the property including pouring bleach everywhere. The courts have repeatedly been told of how he wants to turn his life around and focus on his music career.

Ekwall Tiwana, defending, stated Nicholson had a 'troubled' mental health history but he was now finally opening up about his issues and accepting he needed help. He said: "He is a child from a broken home with very little attention from his parents.

"He was sent away at a very young age. He has opened up about what happened to him. It is quite significant ongoing trauma which has always been present in his life.

"That's been compounded by the fact he was in prison for an offence he didn't commit when aged 15. He spent considerable time in prison for that in his teenage years when very vulnerable."

The barrister added Nicholson had also been the victim of a stabbing. But while Judge Farrer accepted mental health had been a factor in his offending, he ruled there was no evidence his conditions prevented the defendant from 'making rational decisions, exercising judgement or understanding the potential consequences of your actions'.

He described the revenge porn offence as one of the most 'serious examples' of its type and said: "This was a gross breach of trust and you did everything you could to ensure you caused the maximum possible distress."