Witness gives details of sexual offences by alleged King Valley gang members
Published:Friday | January 17, 2020 | 12:54 AMNickoy Wilson/Gleaner Writer
The chilling details of two incidents where alleged King Valley gang members forcibly had sex with women were yesterday outlined by a Crown witness, who admitted that he was more than a spectator when the attacks occurred.
According to the witness, who cannot be named because of a court order, both incidents took place in Top Lincoln district in Grange Hill, Westmoreland.
The witness, who previously testified to being a member of the Westmoreland-based gang, told the court that he and other men identified as Tommy, Lazarus, Sanjay or Blacks, Antwayne, and Alkaline, had sex with a woman against her will.
The witness indicated that the victim was the sister of someone with whom a gang member had had a disagreement.
“We were at an abandoned house, and we waited until she closed her shop. After she closed her shop and was going home … we went on the lane that she live and we grabbed her. After we grabbed her, we bring her in a little pass (lane) on the road that she lives, and Lazarus have sex with her and also me,” said the witness, who is testifying via video link at the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston.
The 23-year-old testified that the victim was accompanied by a man, who was robbed of money and a cell phone before being chased away, while the victim was held.
Call from ‘Bushku’
In the other incident, the former gangster said he, Tommy, Lazarus, Blacks, Alkaline, and another man identified as Nagga, ventured on to Salmon Street in the same district after receiving a call from a man named ‘Bushku’.
The witness said the next victim was travelling on a bike with a man who was being led to the location by ‘Bushku’.
“After we deh deh, me hear the bike turn on to Salmon Street. When the bike reach up to where we were, we run out with gun inna we hand,” the witness said, indicating that he, Lazarus, and Tommy were armed.
The man who was riding the bike was released.
“Me and Nagga (and) Blacks take the girl up in the lane same place on Salmon Street. We were there asking the girl weh she come from, weh she name. Lazarus and Tommy let go the yute,” he said, adding that the now deceased gang leader, Tito, was later called to the scene.
The witness said that he, Tito and Lazarus, then had sex with the victim.
Meanwhile, the proceedings were not without hiccups, with defence attorneys objecting to evidence about the second incident being elicited. However, presiding judge Chief Justice Bryan Sykes was not satisfied with their arguments, consequently allowing the prosecution to continue its line of questioning.
There was also the issue of why the 11-count indictment spoke to indecent assault and not rape.
Rannaldo McKennis, Christon Grant, Carlington Godfrey, Lindell Powell, Derval Williams, Hopeton Stanley, Copeland Sankey, and Sean Suckra are on trial for breaches of Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) 2014, commonly called the Anti-Gang legislation, in relation to crimes committed between 2016 and 2018.