ENTERTAINER Shawn Campbell reportedly refused an offer from the prosecution to plead guilty to accessory before or after the fact of murder.
This was confirmed by his attorney Miguel Lorne and Director of Public Prosecution Paula Llewellyn.
Lorne said his client, known by the stage name ‘Shawn Storm’, was not asked to give any evidence against his co-accused but refused the deal because he was not part of any common design to kill Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
“I was approached by the prosecutor who made the offer. I discussed it with my client and he said there was no fact. He was not part of any plan to kill anybody so he refused. He said there was no fact. As an attorney I have to follow my client’s instructions,” Lorne told the Jamaica Observer.
Llewellyn confirmed the story. “I was told about it by the prosecutor, Jeremy Taylor. He said he approached his attorney with the offer,” the DPP said.
If he had accepted the offer Campbell would have served a three-year prison sentence.
Campbell, who is also called ‘Sivva’, was last Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Lennox Campbell for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams. He must serve 25 years before he can be considered for early release.
All the others were given life sentences, with Vybz Kartel (real name Adidja Palmer) being eligible for parole after he has served 35 years, while André St John and Kahira Jones will be eligible for parole after they have served 30 years and 25 years in prison, respectively.
“He refused because he maintains that he was never involved in any murder and to take that offer would have signalled that he was guilty of participating in murder. I even discussed it with his mother and she said she was glad he refused,” Lorne said.
Campbell was sentenced based on the premise of common design in law, which states that even if a person did not actually commit murder he can be found guilty of participating in the act if he did not voice his objection to the act or acted as a lookout person.
Evidence was presented in court that Campbell sent text messages to his girlfriend, informing her that someone was going to be killed.
The prosecution also argued that Campbell took Williams and the prosecution’s star witness, Lamar ‘Wee’ Chow, to a house owned by Vybz Kartel at Swallowfield in Havendale, St Andrew knowing that they would be killed.
The court was told that Campbell had repeatedly urged Williams and Chow to be calm, after they began acting skittish during a trip from Portmore to Havendale in a taxi driven by a man known only as ‘Need For Speed’.
Chow managed to escape without being harmed and later testified that he saw Williams’ motionless body lying in the living room of the house and Jones holding what appeared to be a block over him.
His evidence weighed heavily on the jury and helped the prosecution to secure a guilty verdict.
Throughout the trial, Campbell appeared dazed at times and when the guilty verdict was read, he grimaced.
However, he appeared more composed during the sentencing hearing and it seemed as if he had come to grips with the fact that he would be spending a long time in prison.
The four convicts were taken to the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, popularly known as GP, after the sentencing on Thursday, where they were processed. They were then taken back to the Horizon Adult Correctional Centre, where they had been held before and during the trial, and will be assigned to maximum security correctional facilities later on, which will likely be either that at Tower Street, or the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town.
They are expected to appeal the verdict on several grounds, including claims that the evidence was tampered with by police and that they were victims of a plot to sink Vybz Kartel, who is not well liked by some sections of society for his outlandish lyrics and gangster image.
Only a fool breaks his own heart.
He had a choice to hand his life over to the Lord or hand it to man. He made his choice clear as day.
U know Shawn mi nuh sorry fi yuh, him come in like a robot fi Kartel….everyting Kartel tell him fi do, him do it, now look yuh sell ouut some your most loyal fren fi Kartel, mi wah ask if was it all worth it….Kartel neva did a push Shawn career til Shawn did agree fi join him wid di masonary ting…yes Shawn too did ah worship di devil and right afta him do it dats when him Karrtel decide fi push him music di song My Life did final start get play…afta all di talkin weh everybady did tell him bout Kartel nuh rate him and like ah robot him truck behind him masta….aaawww bwoy yuh fool eeh Shawn so 2 years now turn into 25 well guess yuh ah all ah di attention from Vybz weh yuh did want before unnu cyan hold hands and mek all di music togeda innah prison smh
I don’t believe that he didn’t have to testify or give information against them for the deal. I’m certain that the plea was rejected after consulting with Kartel. This idiot wanted so badly to prove his loyalty to Kartel that he risked his own life and freedom even after selling out his best friends. The love of money is the root of all evil. Money cloud people’s judgment. Just because this fool think Kartel a guh blow up his career after the not guilty verdict.
His mother really said she’s glad he didn’t take the deal? A wonder if she realizes that to this day I haven’t seen one person screaming ‘free Shawn Storm’?
Shawn Storm needs to realize that he is a nobody and that he needs to take every single break that he gets.
The only thing that I can surmise is that Shawn knew that if he’d sided against Kartel, that he would not have survive his prison stint and even if he did, where in Jamaica would he had lived afterward?
He should have taken the deal and asked for a witness protection deal that would have him relocated somewhere else in the Commonwealth.
Im sure they would have protected him
He would have been released right away for time served. If he had turned state’s witnessed, they would have offered him protection but with that he would have had to give up his dj career.
A DJ career that is not going to make him much money. He graduated from German Automotive as an auto mechanic–such a skill-set should serve him well…
he will have to break down one day
Hence, he is a foolish man…
Is this really how stupid and ignorant our jamaican people have become? That you can know someones life is about to be taken and you say nothing and think that you are not too a murderer? Then to be offered a deal such as the one given and turn it down because of your ego? Our jamaicans have to do better seriously. He will have the rest of his life to now think of what a dumbass decision that was .
All mi can hear inna mi head a Konshens chune a suh mi tan duh mi owna ting mi nuh follow back a man.
Reality a set in now,him soon buss…him think all a dem did ago win di case cause dem rate kartel so much…by di time appeal fi come him ago buss…
“They are expected to appeal the verdict on several grounds, including claims that the evidence was tampered with by police and that they were victims of a plot to sink Vybz Kartel, who is not well liked by some sections of society for his outlandish lyrics and gangster image”
These lawyers did not try to prove that they didn’t commit the murder all they are trying to prove is that it was a conpiracy against Kartel and Co. and they are going to appeal on the same grounds and expect to win?
they tried to do that in the court case and did not dem too much
Shawn storm couldn’t have taken the deal, because 1 he was a part of the plot 2 he or his family would have been murdered. I’m sure he wanted the deal.