NINJAMAN’S murder trial came to an abrupt end yesterday after the dancehall deejay began complaining of chest pains and difficulty in breathing.
“He was sent to a doctor. However, it appears he’s gonna be admitted in hospital for observation,” Valrie Neita-Robertson, the deejay’s attorney, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday. “He was complaining of chest pains and difficulty breathing.”
The high-profile attorney-at-law said the session, which was held in camera at the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston, went up until noon.
“He wanted me to go,” said Neita-Robertson.
She said she will, however, have to wait until Monday to find out if the case will resume.
Ninjaman, whose given name is Desmond Ballentine, along with his son Jahneil, is charged with the March 2009 murder of Ricardo Johnson on Marl Road in Kingston. He was granted bail in 2012.
The dancehall deejay was taken into custody two weeks ago after his bail was revoked by High Court judge, Justice Martin Gayle, who ordered the murder trial to begin immediately. The case had seen 17 trial dates and 23 mentions.
The case was recently transferred to a special court to handle cases on the books for more than five years.
Born in St Mary, Ninjaman came to prominence in the 1980s. He is known for songs including Artical Don, Border Clash, and Cover Me featuring Tinga Stewart.
The deejay also starred in the local, action movie Third World Cop (1999).
Cyaaah wait fi hear a wah gwan.
Payment a get call pon. The crocodile man walking.
A Witness who was “abroad” was giving testimony when he started began complaining of chest pains and difficulty in breathing. Maybe it was caused by stress when the witness appears. Keep putting off the trial since 2009, they think the witnesses would have “disappeared”, which did not happen in this case. The only way these high profile lawyers can win cases is to wish the witnesses are killed. These lawyers are the ones who give their clients the witnesses names. We all know what happen to these witnesses once they names are made available to the lawyers.
So…reading your comment have me thinking outside the box (normal for me… DWL). You think him a play sick to alert others of the witness?
Why me say so is because the witness is now known to him (if it was a John/jane doe on record) and by going to the hospital he can use a phone to cause chaos?
Good observation, even if him “innocent” of it, but with 17/23 mentions in court and the country plauged by multiple deaths and disappearance anything possible.
Good thing the witness went abroad or else it would be a case like the Energy God’s own weh the witness died mysteriously and kaboom! Case closed.
We need to change our laws, so that a witness who have given a complete statement, would allow the statement to be admitted in a court of law, even if the witness dies. This will lead to few witnesses being killed before trial. We also need speedy trial for certain offence (Murder, Rape, etc.). No trial show go beyond 2-years.
A nuff stress a reach Ninjaman.
These so called entertainers have blood on their hands, from murder to (you name it and their names have been called on it)….what if, like what’s happening in Hollywood starts happening in Jamaica…..the amount of entertainers that would be in trouble…