The potential for a retrial within the Vybz Kartel homicide case now looms following day two of the Privy Council attraction listening to for the dancehall artiste and his three co-convicts.
Vybz Kartel, whose given title is Adidja Palmer; Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell; Kahira Jones; and Andre St John have been convicted in March 2014 of the homicide of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
Similar to day one, day two of the listening to in London remained centered on the difficulty of jury tampering. Either side continued to argue whether or not Livingston Caine, the juror convicted of trying to sway the jury foreman with a $500,000 bribe to safe a not-guilty verdict, ought to have been faraway from the panel.
Had Caine been dismissed, it could have necessitated a restart of the trial, a prospect the prosecution, represented by King’s Counsel Peter Knox, deemed difficult given the trial’s already prolonged length.
Knox contended that there was minimal danger of bias influencing the decision, citing overwhelming proof in opposition to the appellants. He highlighted varied items of proof, together with incriminating audio recordings of Vybz Kartel and textual content messages from the deceased, and reported injury to Palmer’s residence, the place the homicide allegedly occurred.
– Commercial –
Within the occasion of convictions being overturned, the prosecution expressed its need for a retrial, emphasizing the significance of contemplating the selections made by the Jamaican Courtroom of Attraction, which is most acquainted with the Jamaican authorized system.
Honest trial inconceivable for Kartel, attorneys say
Nonetheless, King’s Counsel Hugh Southey, representing the appellants, countered the notion of a retrial, asserting that the passage of time and the high-profile nature of the case have made a good trial unfeasible.
– Commercial –
“These difficulties haven’t diminished, they’ve change into higher due to passage of time. That is one thing that’s now excessive profile. In our submission, that submission helps our argument that there isn’t any level remitting this … as a result of a good trial is now very tough, inconceivable, we’d submit,” Southey stated.
Isat Buchanan, one other legal professional for the appellants, emphasised their pursuit to overturn the boys’s convictions.
“There’s no treatment, no consideration for a retrial or a second probability,” he affirmed.
The choice from the Privy Council is anticipated to be delivered 12 weeks from in the present day.
Learn extra: Jury tampering highlighted as key issue during Vybz Kartel Privy Council appeal hearing
