Huskii: rapper Benjamin Hayden has bail revoked on domestic violence charges

A Sydney rapper on domestic violence charges has refused to face court after police investigating potential bail breaches allegedly found him with his former partner – who he is forbidden to see.

A Sydney rapper charged with domestic violence offences has refused to face a magistrate after police investigating several potential bail breaches allegedly found him with his former partner while he remains forbidden to see her.

A court has heard NSW Police suspect Benjamin Hayden – known professionally as rapper Huskii – repeatedly breached strict bail conditions imposed after he was charged with common assault, property damage and contravening an apprehended violence order in February 2022.

Western Sydney rapper Huskii.

Police began investigating the potential breaches after the Blacktown Advocate brought several social media posts – including a video of Hayden snorting an unknown white substance during a Melbourne performance – to their attention.

Under the conditions Hayden, originally from Wollongong, was permitted to tour Australia in support of his new record Antihero – but he was required to be of good behaviour, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and not attend venues where alcohol is served except to perform music.

He was also forbidden to contact his ex-partner by any means except through a lawyer.

Aside from the snorting video, other posts on Huskii’s Instagram appear to show him at Golden Century restaurant – a venue where alcohol is served, and holding a hand-rolled cigarette of unknown substance.

A video appears to show Huskii snorting a substance.

A video appears to show Huskii with a replica firearm.

Another video appears to show Huskii stuffing a gel blaster replica rifle – which is illegal in NSW – down his pants, while an image in which he is tagged appears to show him with his former partner who he is not allowed to see or contact.

Just 12 hours after the Advocate brought the posts to NSW Police’s attention, officers from Blacktown Police’s Domestic and Family Violence team attended a Blacktown address where they allegedly found Hayden with his former partner.

Hayden was subsequently charged but refused to speak to Legal Aid and a Corrective Services NSW officer told Magistrate John McIntosh the rapper had refused to attend court via the audiovisual link.

“(There are) open source social media posts on Instagram page, highly suspected to be operated by him … on one occasion he posted images of alcoholic beverages,” Mr McIntosh read from police documents.

“He’s depicted possessing a prohibited rifle.”

An image from Huskii’s Instagram which police say shows him with alcoholic drinks.

Police prosecutor Ms Kinminster further said police would allege Hayden was in contact with the woman protected by the apprehended violence order in an alleged violation of his bail conditions and there are images “in relation to prohibited drugs and a firearm”.

“When police attended the location he was with the person in need of protection and there was no contact permitted,” Ms Kinminster told the court.

“Bail is opposed, due to the serious nature of the matter.”

The court noted Hayden has not been charged again with contravening an AVO, or with either drug or firearm offences – and that the details of the social media posts currently only constitute alleged breaches of bail.

“The breach is established, his bail’s been revoked, and there are no changes to the substantive offences,” Mr McIntosh said in Hayden’s absence.

Absent any forthcoming application for bail, the bail breach matter was adjourned to the same date as Hayden’s hearing on the three existing matters – to which he has pleaded not guilty.

He returns to Blacktown Local Court on August 17.