GERMANY – A rapper who lost nearly half his skull following a drugs lab blast while he cooked up a brew called ‘Nazi Gold’ faces five years in jail in Germany.

What Happened

Niko Brenner, known to hip-hop fans as Dr Knarf, was sent flying from a recording studio into the street when the mix of cannabis and butane gas exploded.

Grim photographs of his injuries show how surgeons had to remove a huge chunk from his skull to protect his massively swollen brain in 2017.

Now Brenner, 39, has been accused of causing an explosion and the possession and sale of drugs at a court in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia State, on January 18.

He told judges at Cologne Regional Court: ‘I take full responsibility.’

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How it Happened

Prosecutors say Brenner wanted to produce a cannabis concentrate known as a ‘dab’.

The gas is said to have escaped and likely exploded due to a spark from a refrigerator at the lab in Cologne.

The explosion ‘blasted windows and parts of the masonry into the inner courtyard of the building’, the prosecutor said, and caused damage of around 15,000 euros.

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Victims of the Blast

The blast also injured both Brenner and a friend named in documents only as Esat B.

But Brenner, who has a son, said: ‘It was just me who produced the drugs. I was a serious addict and lived in my bubble. I did not worry about potential risks.

‘My biggest mistake’

‘This accident made my world collapse. It was the biggest mistake I ever made.

‘I mainly suffered burns to my arms and head.

‘Liquid gas is like napalm. It keeps gnawing and just won’t stop.

‘However, I’m deeply sorry for all the pain I have inflicted on others.’

He added: ‘Because of what happened, my relationship came to an end and I did not see my son grow up.’