Laden gets time
IN 2009, singjay Laden climbed Jamaican charts with the ditty, Time To
Shine. Last Wednesday, a St Elizabeth court gave him prison time of five-and-half years for illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.
The 33-year-old will, however, serve only four years, as he received 18 months for the illegal possession of ammunition charge, and four years for the illegal possession of firearm charge. The sentences are slated to run concurrently.
One of the entertainer’s attorneys, Thomas Levene, said there was a ray of hope.
“In practical terms, he may apply for parole after one year,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
His other attorney was Jodi Taylor.
At the two-day sentencing, singer Christopher Martin was one of two people called as a character witness.
The week before, Laden was fined $2,000 for failing to obey the police stemming from the same incident. A charge for breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act for being on the streets after the then 9:00 pm islandwide curfew.
According to the Corporate Communications Unit — the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s information arm — about
10:40 pm on October 28, police in Cheapside, St Elizabeth, signalled the driver of a black Mercedes-benz to stop. The driver initially complied, but sped off when they approached.
A chase ensued and an object was seen being thrown from the sunroof of the Mercedes.
When the police caught up with the vehicle, the occupants were arrested and taken back to the location where the object was thrown from the car. The area was searched, and a pistol recovered.
The three occupants in the vehicle were subsequently charged. However, 21-yearold Saaion Ebanks and his 16-year-old brother were later acquitted.
Laden was a top-10 finalist on the Digicel Rising Stars contest in 2006.
At one stage, he was part of Freddie Mcgregor’s Big Ship Productions. Along with that label’s head producer Stephen “Di Genius” Mcgregor, he released popular tracks including Time to Shine as well as Really Like You, I’m Sorry, She Like It, and Come Mek Mi Touch Yuh.