Attorney at Law representing dancehall artiste Shawn Storm is unfazed by the Privy Council’s decision to reject new evidence in his murder appeal. Bert Samuels in an interview with the Jamaica Observer newspaper spoke about his confidence about the case.
“I am disappointed, but I have other grounds which I am confident that we should be able to put a very good case for him. Those new grounds were the gravy, but we still have the meat.”
Samuels explained the rulings of the Privy Council and what it meant for him and his client.
“What it means is that the grounds which we were permitted by the Jamaican Court of Appeal to argue, we feel very good we managed to get the Court of Appeal in Jamaica to certify four grounds of appeal. We are confident we have enough to go to the court.”
Reports that Jamaica’s final appeal court, the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, had dismissed the appeal started circulating on Tuesday, after which Paula Lewellyn, the Director of Public Prosecution, issued a statement disputing them.
According to Llewellyn, the appellants were given permission by the Court of Appeal of Jamaica to appeal against their conviction and sentence to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Two additional applications were made to the Privy Council while they awaited the outcome of their appeal as a result of their attorneys’ court-approved examination of the cell phone exhibit by their expert, which was done in Jamaica in front of the Crown’s expert.
“The first application by the appellants’ attorneys sought to adduce fresh evidence in order to establish that there was improper interference with the cellular phone of the second appellant, Adidja Palmer, while it was in the custody of the police,” the statement read in part.
“The second application on behalf of Mr. Palmer sought the permission of the Privy Council, to advance additional grounds of appeal, in respect of which leave had not been previously granted by the Court of Appeal of Jamaica.”
“The determination of these two (2) applications now sets the stage for the full hearing of the substantive appeal against conviction and sentence at a future date to be appointed by the Privy Council,” it continued.
The Privy Council said in its ruling that having considered an application for permission to appeal from the judgement of the Court of Appeal of Jamaica on April 3, 2020, and having considered written submissions from the appellants and the respondents, they’ve agreed that:
- permission to appeal be reused (in the application dated 20 November 2020)
- permission to appeal the additional grounds advanced on behalf of Mr Palmer be refused and also refused on the application for an extension of time and application to rely on fresh evidence. The grounds do not support the submission that a serious miscarriage of justice has occurred in this case (in the application dated 12 November 2021)
Shawn Campbell otherwise known as Shawn Storm, is a former member of Vybz Kartel’s Portmore Empire. On April 3, 2014, he and his mentor were found guilty of the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams in 2011.
Andre St. John and Kahira Jones, who were co-accused, were also found guilty. Justice Lennox Campbell sentenced them all to life in prison. They were taken into custody on September 29, 2011.
