Witness says soldier spent free time guarding gang leader

THE PROSECUTION’S second witness in the Clansman Gang trial yesterday testified that an ex-soldier accused of being a member of the One Don Gang had spent his free time guarding reputed leader Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan.

“When he is not at work, he is on the avenue. He is always there with Blackman with an AK,” the witness said.

The witness previously testified that the ex-soldier, defendant Jermaine Robinson, had disclosed to him that he was a member of the Jamaica Defence Force.

He said that he had seen Robinson at the Jones Avenue, Spanish Town, base of the gang in St Catherine, and at the home of the alleged don’s personal driver, guarding Blackman with a gun.

But during cross-examination yesterday, Robinson’s lawyer, Roxaine Smith, suggested that her client was never a bodyguard for the reputed leader or a member of any gang.

Further, she said that the witness was lying.

Smith also sought to discredit the witness’ account that Blackman had introduced him to the soldier.

She suggested that the witness had met her client during one of his visits to his girlfriend on Jones Avenue as her client had been dating the girlfriend’s sister.

“Were you not aware that during that time Jermaine was also having a relationship with ... ?”she asked.

But the witness said that as far as he knew, Robinson was dating one of Blackman’s relatives.

“I am suggesting that you are aware. That’s how you both met,” she said.

The lawyer said that both men also had a conversation in which the witness told her client about his friend who sells Clarks, and as a result, they exchanged numbers.

But the witness said that he could not recall that encounter.

Smith further suggested that based on that meeting, there was no need for any introduction by Blackman as they had already met.

The lawyer further suggested that the witness had not seen her client on duty at a checkpoint in Spanish Town and had asked him for Blackman’s number nor had he called the witness in 2018 saying he wanted to“tun up back di ting”.

But the witness maintained that his testimony about the soldier was truthful.

Meanwhile, defence lawyer Alexander Shaw, who is representing Stephanie Christie, the lone woman among the 33 alleged gang members on trial, suggested on Thursday that his client knew Blackman since childhood as they both grew up on Jones Avenue.

However, when the suggestion was made, the witness denied being aware that they were childhood friends or that they both originated from Jones Avenue.

Further, he said, “Close friends don’t try and kill close friends.”

But the attorney later suggested that he was the one who had tried to kill his client as he did not like her.

The witness, however, questioned why he would want her dead, saying that they had a good relationship and that he had no hate in his heart for her even if she harboured hate for him.

Bryan and 32 other alleged gang members are being tried on an indictment with 25 counts under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organizations) Act and the Firearms Act.