Ryan Maqsood

THE Met police say they have a drill music expert combing lyrics for clues to violent crimes.

An officer gave evidence at the Old Bailey as it was claimed that Ryan Maqsood, 26, had rapped about an attack on a 16-year-old in Brookes Court, Clerkenwell, in 2019. The victim sustained 19 stab wounds and was considered lucky to have survived.

Maqsood, from Islington, was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced this month to 27 years in prison.

The police investigation found CCTV which showed seven attackers on push bikes, two of whom attacked the teenager.

Two “Rambo-style” knives with the victim’s and Masqood’s DNA were found inside a backpack that had been hidden in bushes.

The backpack had been seen being worn by one of the attackers on CCTV.

The court was told Maqsood performed drill music under the stage name Rashy. Police conducted a special analysis of his music, and one of his tracks appeared to describe the stabbing in significant detail and included references that police believed would only have been known by someone present at the time of the attack.

The Met said: “An officer with specialist knowledge in drill music gave expert evidence in court to explain what the lyrics referred to.”

According to police, the stabbing was motivated by a conflict between two gangs.

Detective Sergeant Katy Phipps said: “The evidence we gathered during this investigation left the jury with no doubt as to his guilt, despite the fact the victim did not wish to assist police.

“The drill music recovered from Maqsood’s phone included very specific details that we believe could only have been known to someone who was there when the incident took place.”