Adelaide singer Patrick Bannah, known as Loverboy, found guilty of raping 15-year-old girl

One specific detail on the body of an Adelaide singer known as Loverboy inevitably had him convicted.

Patrick Bannah was found guilty of rape and attempted rape after a trial. Photo: Facebook

An award-winning recording artist’s distinctive sleeve tattoo was the defining detail that led to him being found guilty of rape and attempted rape.

On Wednesday, a jury found Patrick Morie Bannah, 28, guilty after his victim linked him to the crime by his tattoo sleeve, which had some writing or script.

Ahura Kalali, for the prosecution, said even though the victim was intoxicated at the time of the rapes, what she recalled in her testimony about the sexual assaults was “vivid, graphic and detailed”.

“She says the male with the sleeve tattoo came into the room,” he said.

“The only thing that she does say is that she saw the tattoo and this is what it all boils down to.”

Bannah’s co-accused Jonathan Zahinda, 26, was found guilty of rape and dissuading a witness after both men stood trial in the District Court.

Bannah’s music history

Bannah, who goes by the stage name of “ConCcoins,” or “Loverboy,” is a recording artist and a music engineer after debuting in 2012.

His musical style is dance Afrobeats releasing four songs under ConCcoins and ten singles with his Loverboy name, including “We Outside”, “VIP”, “Overdose”, “High Me”, “Judge”, and “Legitimate Man”.

The song “VIP” includes the lyrics “A lot of girls in my yard/Dey kind girls wey dem bum bum large,” and “Billion dolls in my bank/Can’t you see that we living large.”

Patrick Bannah was found guilty of rape and attempted rape. Photo: Facebook

He will face court again next month. Photo: Facebook

However, on Spotify the artist has an underwhelming number of listens per month with both profiles gaining only 200 listens.

But Bannah boasts in his Spotify biography to have headlined international shows in Cambodia and Malaysia in 2013, receiving awards for Best Afrobeats in Australia in 2015, and being invited by the Liberian Entertainment Awards to perform in the USA.

Prior to his conviction he planned a “10 Years with Loverboy,” anniversary concert scheduled for Saturday, November 25 which still has tickets for sale.

His Facebook post promoting the event had a caption saying, “Show class, have pride, and display character. November 25th I give you my all.”

The trial

Mr Kalali told the court in his opening statement the victim was at an 18th birthday party in an Adelaide Airbnb apartment in October 2020.

The court heard the victim drank alcohol for the first time and tried cannabis before going into one of the bedrooms.

Mr Kalali said Bannah then came into the bedroom and started touching the alleged victim’s genitalia, with her telling him to stop.

The court heard Bannah then tried to penetrate the victim’s anus and said “Have you done this before? I don’t want you to shit on me”.

Mr Kalali said Zahinda then came into the bedroom later in the evening and also raped the girl.

Jonathon Zahinda leaving the District Court. Picture: Dean Martin

Mistaken identity, said defence

In her closing statement, Michelle Barnes, for Bannah, told the court a photograph of her client on the night of the party didn’t match the victim’s description of what the perpetrator was wearing.

The court heard Bannah’s tattoo sleeve – which was identified by the victim – was covered by his jacket and he was wearing a black T-shirt and not a white button up shirt as described.

Ms Barnes said the victim looked at the Instagram profile of Mr Bannah after the incident and her memory would have been influenced.

“In her mind from that moment is imprinted that that’s the man she saw at the party,” she said.

“Identification evidence, particularly involving strangers, is notoriously unreliable.”

Ms Barnes said there were several other men at the party who could have committed the assault and the alleged victim was intoxicated so her evidence was unreliable and she was “mistaken”.

Patrick Bannah goes by the stage name Loverboy. Photo: Facebook

Tattoo sleeve linked Bannah to rape

However, in his closing statement, Mr Kalali said even though the victim was intoxicated at the time of the rapes, what she recalled in her testimony about the sexual assaults was “vivid, graphic and detailed”.

“She says the male with the sleeve tattoo came into the room,” he said.

“She saw him because the light was on and he closed the door and switched the light off.”

Mr Kalali said the victim had met Bannah earlier in the night and he tried to speak with her a lot.

“You might think, in the night, she got a good look at him. She saw his face and described it,” he said.

“The tattoo on Mr Bannah was on show that night. Jackets can come off.

“The only thing that she does say is that she saw the tattoo and this is what it all boils down to.”

The duo, who have been allowed to remain on bail, will face court again next month.