None of the members of Belfast rap group Kneecap will be prosecuted over comments allegedly calling for British Conservative Party MPs to be killed.
The Metropolitan Police has decided not to prosecute the band over the comments made at a concert in November 2023.
A clip posted on social media showed an unidentified member of the group saying: “Kill your local MP. The only good Tory is a dead Tory.”
The smartphone footage was made available to the Met Police in April following Kneecap’s appearance at the Coachella festival in the US, at which the group displayed banners criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza.
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Terrorism inquiry into Kneecap’s alleged call to murder Tory MPs dropped, Met Police confirms
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said it was dropping the inquiry because the alleged offences happened outside the statutory time limit for prosecution.
“A thorough investigation has now been completed by detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command, which included interviewing an individual under caution and seeking early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service,” the force said.
“A range of offences were considered as part of the investigation. However, given the time elapsed between the events in the video and the video being brought to police attention, any potential summary only offences were beyond the statutory time limit for prosecution.
“Relevant indictable offences were considered by the investigation team and, based on all of the current evidence available, a decision has been made that no further action will be taken at this time.”
The Met said it understood the “impact this decision may have” on MPs and their staff.
“The safety and security of MPs is something that is taken extremely seriously across the whole of policing,” it said.
“MPs who may be concerned about their safety can contact their dedicated local Operation Bridger officer, who can provide further advice and support.”
Kneecap later apologised for the comments to the families of murdered MPs David Amess and Jo Cox, who died in 2021 and 2016 respectively.
The trio stated: “To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt.”
A Met Police spokesman stressed that the matter was entirely separate from the charge of terrorism arising out of the alleged displaying of a Hizbullah flag at a Kneecap concert on November 21st last at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London. Hizbullah is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, who goes under the name Mo Chara, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18th. He was also filmed saying, “up Hamas, up Hizbullah”.
At the hearing, Brenda Campbell, the defendant’s lawyer, claimed the charge was brought too late, as it came more than six months after the alleged crime was committed.
Judge Paul Goldspring said a further hearing would be held on August 20th to determine whether the defence was correct in this assessment.
The band had faced calls to be pulled from the bill at Glastonbury but played to a large crowd at the Somerset event on Saturday.
