The Court of Appeal has granted leave for new evidence to be introduced in the case involving entertainers Adijah “Vybz Kartel” Palmer, Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell and their two co-accused, Kahira Jones and Andre St John.
The panel of Court of Appeal president Justice Dennis Morrison, Justice Patrick Brooks and Frank Williams accepted two of the three issues presented in the application.
However, the third, which sought to adduce fresh evidence regarding the statement of Kimberly Cranston and two statements from jurors who were involved in the corruption trial of juror Cain Livingston, was refused.
Palmer’s lawyer, Valerie Neita-Robertson had argued that the jury was contaminated and posited that media coverage during the trial had caused the case to be prejudiced.
Vybz Kartel and his co-accused Campbell, Kahira St Jones, and Andre St John, were convicted in 2014 for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams and given life sentences.
Kartel will be eligible for parole after serving 35 years while Campbell and Jones will have to serve 25 years each before being eligible for parole. St John will do 30 years before being considered for parole.
The convicts were granted leave to appeal their murder conviction after citing several reasons, including claims that they did not receive a fair trial and that justice was miscarried in their cases, as well as that the trial judge, Justice Lennox Campbell, had erred in admitting contaminated cellphone evidence and that there was more than reasonable doubt about the phone’s integrity.
I’m back here for this lol free world boss
35 years sir a dat dem seh.
Hope they add more with this new evidence.
Y dem can’t accept DAT? Kartel a live life just like wen him did deh road! Him nuh needed back a road! Him naa see it back!
I was just saying yesterday that his lawyers obviously told him not to appear in court to avoid the army of skanks, disgusting looking tatooed bleachers & criminals that would descend in the vicinity of the courthouse, because as all sensible people know, is not everybody support you want. I remember his first trial and the batta-foot people I see supporting him smh. Well, I think the lawyers didn’t want a repeat of that. So him being off social media is probably another element of the lawyers’ guidance.
LOL at these comments. A criminal Defendant never appears in the higher courts of appeal, normally because they are in custody serving their sentences. He has as good a prospect of succeeding as anyone and the panel he is before is the best Jamaica has to offer. You can tell because they cut the argument time down to one day per party, but also these to my mind are three of our best judges. So I wish him all the best. It is really up to the arguments finding favour with the judges now.