An award-winning rapper, who rose to fame while serving a prison sentence for threatening rival gangsters with a firearm, has been removed from the United Kingdom and sent back to Jamaica.
From Chart Success to Deportation
Marnz Malone, whose real name is Kimani Shaw, was deported this month after serving part of an 11-year sentence. The 24-year-old, a member of the B19 gang, was convicted in 2021 for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Despite his incarceration, Malone's music career flourished. His album 'Tina's Boy' reached number six in the British hip-hop charts last year. His latest tracks, recorded via a prison phone, have garnered millions of streams, often detailing themes of jail life and suicide.
A Violent Confrontation and Revenge Attack
The court heard that the incident leading to his conviction occurred in 2019. Malone had entered a rival crew's territory in Birmingham, leading to a confrontation where he pointed a gun at rivals.
He was subsequently chased into a nearby underpass and stabbed 20 times, requiring urgent intensive care. While he was on life-support the following day, a triple shooting took place in the city's Ladywood district in a suspected revenge attack.
That shooting resulted in the murder of 23-year-old Dante Mullings and injuries to two others. Three men were later convicted for the murder.
Government Policy on Foreign Offenders
Malone's deportation aligns with recent changes to UK law. Since June, foreign national offenders can be deported after completing just 30% of their sentence. The government is seeking to amend laws further to allow immediate deportation after conviction for some crimes.
However, terrorists, murderers and serious offenders given indeterminate sentences will continue to serve their time in the UK before deportation is considered. Those deported are permanently barred from re-entering the country.
A Home Office spokesperson stated: "This government will not allow foreign criminals and illegal migrants to exploit our laws... allowing us to scale up deportations."
Officials estimate that deporting foreign offenders sooner could free up around 500 prison places annually. Foreign nationals currently make up roughly 12% of the total prison population in England and Wales.
Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, Malone moved to Birmingham as a young child after his father's death. In a January interview, he credited music with his rehabilitation, stating prison was not a place for reform and that without his musical break, he might have returned to crime.
