Clad in a white outfit with an orange bandana covering his face, dancehall star Vybz Kartel walked out of the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in Kingston today as a free man.
The 48-year-old entertainer was freed by the Court of Appeal earlier after spending 13 years in custody.
Outside the prison, Vybz Kartel was greeted by adoring fans, his fiancée Sidem Öztürk, and Tommy Thompson, the CEO of Brite Lite Funeral Home.
“Stay out of crime, it nuh worth it. A waste of time and waste of life,” were his first words before departing in a white limousine.
Just hours earlier, President of the Court Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop delivered the judgment in the retrial of Vybz Kartel and his three co-accused, ruling against a new trial and acquitting them of the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.
The court’s decision was unanimous. Justice McDonald-Bishop led the panel, which included Justices Paulette Williams and David Fraser.
The judges cited several reasons for their decision, including the prosecution’s insufficient account of its witnesses’ availability, the lengthy delay for a new trial (estimated at 15 years), the violation of the appellants’ right to a fair hearing in the first trial, potential prejudices against the appellants, and the complex nature of the trial, including its length, cost, and other court resources.
Justice McDonald-Bishop noted that the 13 years already spent in custody by the appellants also influenced their decision.
Kartel, along with Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell and Andre St John, walked free today. However, the fourth man charged, Kahira Jones, will remain in custody as he is serving a sentence in an unrelated case.
Read: Court of Appeal orders the release of Vybz Kartel and co-accused
