So Solid star Megaman has gone on trial for the same alleged murder for the third time. As previously reported, the rapper, real name Dwayne Vincent, is accused of urging his friend Carl Morgan to shoot one Colin Scarlett back in 2004. Morgan was, of course, convicted in 2005 of shooting Scarlett, who was at that time seeing Morgan's ex-girlfriend.
Jurors were told that Vincent was to be tried for the third time due to "technical and administrative reasons". In fact, the last time Vincent was in court, the jury was unable to reach a verdict, leading to the re-trial. The new jurors were asked on Monday to declare if they remembered details of the first two trials, or if they had any strong views on the garage, rap and hip-hop genres.
Vincent has, of course, always protested his innocence. Charged with encouraging Morgan to kill his love-rival, and accused of embracing a culture of violence, the rapper emphasised during the second trial that he, 'Vincent', should not be confused with his alter-ego 'Megaman' after the prosecution offered So Solid tracks as evidence of his guilt in court.
However, Jeremy Donne, for the prosecution, this week told the court that this was a case about "humiliation, or disrespect, fermenting a desire for revenge", adding "When they found Mr Scarlett, there was a brief encounter before Morgan, with Vincent's encouragement and support, shot him dead."