Vybz Kartel and co-accused get leave to appeal murder conviction

Incarcerated dancehall star, Vybz Kartel and three of his three co-accused in the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams were Wednesday granted leave to appeal their conviction and life sentences.

Vybz  Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer; Shawn Campbell; Kahira Jones; and Andre St John are now able to have the Court of Appeal rule whether or not to overturn their conviction and sentence.

The men were convicted in the Home Circuit Court, in March 2014, for murdering Williams. His remains were never found, but an 11-member jury found them guilty based on evidence of their former crony, Leonard Chow, who gave evidence that they himself and Williams were marked for death after they mislaid two illegal guns that belonged to a gang which Vybz Kartel led.

Chow testified that he saw Williams being beaten and olnly escaped with his life because he fled the Havendale, St Andrew house where the mauling was taking place.

The prosecution also used video and text evidence to aid their successful conviction bid.

However attorneys for the convicted men are arguing that the judge who ruled in the matter erred in his instructions to the jury and may have prejudiced their clients’ case.

They were sentenced the to life imprisonment, with the possibility of parole after serving a period of 25 and 35 years behind bars.

The men are represented by Tom Tavares-Finson, QC, and Michael Lorne.