Man charged over T.I assistant's murder

Rex Features

A man has been convicted of murdering rapper T.I's assistant Philant Johnson.

Johnson was driving with the rapper when Hosea Thomas opened fire on the vehicle, killing the 26-year-old assistant.

Thomas, a 35 year-old from Cincinatti, was found guilty on all 11 counts brought before the jury, including murder, five counts of felonious assault and illegally having a gun after a felony conviction. He was given a 20-year prison sentence.

The jury was told that Thomas became irate after being denied access to a VIP lounge where the rapper and his assistant were celebrating in an afterparty.

T.I is currently number one on the US Billboard chart with his Rihanna collaboration 'Live Your Life'.