Final prosecution witness in Klans trial to take stand today
THE prosecution is one witness away from closing its case against 33 alleged members of the St Catherine-based Klansman Gang in the landmark trial which is to date the largest of its kind in the Caribbean.
That witness is expected to take the stand this morning in the Home Circuit Division of the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston before trial Judge Chief Justice Bryan Sykes where the matter has been unfolding since September of last year.
The Crown, in opening its case at that time, had indicated that 43 witnesses would be called in the matter. On Monday after recalling three witnesses including Crown Witness Number one, a prosecutor informed the court that the final witness would mount the stand today (Tuesday) in the trial which has seen Sykes commenting several times on the length.
The defence, for its part, indicated that there will be “no case submissions” made on behalf of the defendants.
In his comment, Chief Justice Sykes said it would help if the prosecution prepared a document outlining all the evidence against each accused relating to the specific charges against them to allow their attorneys to tailor their arguments.
Prosecutors in responding said this would take them roughly a week and a half to produce.
The accused are being tried under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) (Amendment) Act, commonly called the anti-gang legislation, with several facing additional charges under the Firearms Act for crimes allegedly committed between 2015 and 2019.
All 33 accused, who are being tried under an indictment containing 25 counts, when arraigned on September 20 pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
The offences with which they are charged, include being part of a criminal organisation, murder, conspiracy to murder, arson and illegal possession of firearm and illegal possession of ammunition. Accused gang boss Andre “Blackman” Bryan is charged with, among other things, being the leader of a criminal organisation.
Others answering to the charges are Bryan’s brother Kevaughn Green (supposedly second in command) , Tomrick Taylor, Damaine Elliston, Kalifa Williams, Daniel Mckenzie, Michael Whitely, Pete Miller, Dylon Mcclean, Dwight Hall, Carl Beech, Lamar Simpson, Donavon Richards, Tareek James, Stephanie Christie, Fabian Johnson, Jahzeel
Blake, Roel Taylor, Rushane Williams, Kemar Harrison, Joseph Mcdermott, Jermaine Robinson, Rivaldo Hylton, Jason Brown, Andre Golding, Marco Miller, Chevoy Evan’s, Brian Morris, Andre Smith, Dwayne Salmon, Ricardo Thomas, Ted Prince, and Owen Ormsby.
The Crown is alleging that the accused, between 2015 and 2019, carried out a range of murders, conspiracies to murder and extortion and arson throughout St Catherine.
It said the gang’s headquarters at Jones Avenue in Spanish Town was used by gang members for planning their exploits and was also where briefing and debriefing in respect of crimes took place.
The court also heard that this was where transactions such as the sale and purchase of guns to carry out murders were done. Several members of the gang in their roles as “foot soldiers”, the court was told, were responsible for ensuring that murders ordered were executed and that extortion money was collected.