Dancehall star Vybz Kartel and two of his three co-@ccused were denied bail on Thursday afternoon when they appeared in the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Justice Andrea Thomas, in denying bail to the applicants, stated that in the absence of a verdict or acquittal by the Privy Council, the charge of m_rder remains in effect.
“Given that their appeal is not yet determined, they should remain in custody until their appeal is concluded… That is until a verdict of acquittal is entered or there is a decision for a retrial,” Thomas said.
On Wednesday, members of the prosecution and the defence presented arguments in Kartel’s habeas corpus case, which would have determined whether the artiste would be granted bail.
Lawyers representing Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, and two of his three co-@ccused filed the habeas corpus application seeking their release on May 14 due to undisclosed issues raised by the defence.
The application follows the Privy Council’s March 14 ruling that overturned Kartel’s and his co-accused’s convictions for the 2011 m_rder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
The Privy Council ordered that the case be returned to Jamaica’s Appeal Court to decide whether a retrial is necessary for Kartel and his co-accused Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John.
The Privy Council’s ruling followed an appeal made in February by lawyers representing the then-convicts, who argued various grounds, including the admissibility of telecommunication evidence, allegations of jury misconduct, and pressure on the jury to reach a verdict.
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In April 2014, Kartel was sentenced to l!fe in prison with eligibility for parole after serving 35 years of his sentence. His co-accused were also handed l!fe sentences – with Shawn Storm and Jones eligible for parole after serving 25 years, and St John eligible after serving 15 years.
Additional Source: Trindad Guardian
