BLOODTHIRSTY

A former don-turned-prosecution witness delivered a shocking testimony on Monday, claiming that a member of the One Don Gang had told him that he wanted to exhume the skull of a dead man so that he could use it to drink blood.

The ex-gangster, who was on day four of his insightful and riveting evidence-in-chief before the Home Circuit Court, said he was told about the alleged gangster's morbid desire after seeing him and another accused crony squabbling over the plan to dig up the body of a man they had reportedly killed.

The then lone married gangster, who had held on to his corporate job while in the gang, testified that he witnessed defendants and 'Papa' (Joseph McDermott), Raetae Blacks, and Andre Golding cursing after he had returned from purchasing an AK-47 rifle for the gang.

“He and Raetae Blacks were cussing. He told Raetae Blacks that he wanted the skull from a man they bury.

“I was asking him what he want the skull to do, and him told me him want to drink blood from it,” the witness told the court.

The witness, who had been a gang member between 2016 and 2019, earlier disclosed that he had acted as a 'lookout' man for the gang when two members had allegedly stabbed a man to death by a river in Waterloo Lane, Spanish Town, between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.

According to the witness, the alleged gang members who had only brought their Rambo knives then bury the man.

The incident reportedly happened when alleged gang members, including Ezi (defendant Marco Miller), Q (defendant Rivaldo Hylton), and Smokey (Peter Miller), went to a party, the witness said.

That incident was one of several murders, including two double killings, as well as the 2008 murder of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company chairman, Douglas Chambers, that the witness spoke about briefly.

Chambers was gunned down at the Spanish Town depot. Andre 'Blackman' Bryan, the reputed leader of One Don, a breakaway of the Clansman Gang, was charged with his murder but was found not guilty. Tesha Miller, reputed leader of the Clansman Gang, was last January found guilty of accessory before and after the fact of murder in relation to Chambers' murder.

The witness said that Blackman had reportedly boasted to him about how he had used a gun to put “two big hole” in Chambers' head and had shown him the weapon he had used. The witness alleged that Bryan had also told him that he had asked a man called Marlon to sell the alleged murder weapon outside of St Catherine.

He told the court that the gang had also reportedly killed two men from Denham Town at a netball field in Rivoli in Spanish Town.

A man and woman were also allegedly killed by Bryan and his bodyguard, 'C.J.' (Tareek James), in Spanish Town after they kicked in their door at night, the witness testified.

The former top-tier member, who disclosed that he was close to Bryan, said he was also told about the alleged killing of a man referred to as 'Plantain Man' and another called 'Outlaw', who was gunned down in Lauriston, St Catherine.

The witness also mentioned the killing of a man who was reportedly shot dead by members of the gang on a playing field in Spanish Town and about a taxi driver who was allegedly shot in the head by Hylton, who was accused of stealing a car.

The second prosecution star witness, who delivered several bits of startling testimony, also told the court that the Jamaica Defence Force soldier, Jermaine Robinson, an alleged member of the gang, had told him that he wanted to revive gang shootings in the Spanish Town area while Bryan was in jail.

He said the defendant had called him while he was giving his statement to the police to make enquiries about Bryan.

“Hi say him waa hear from Blackman 'cause him wah tun up back di ting. The ting come in like a joke,” the witness said Robinson reportedly told him.

The witness told the court that when Bryan had first introduced Robinson to him as a soldier, he was not convinced that the defendant was in the army.

However, he testified that confirmation later came after he was travelling in Spanish Town and allegedly saw Robinson at a checkpoint dressed in his uniform and armed with his service weapon.

He said Robinson told the other lawmen who were present to allow him to pass through without searching him. Before he drove off, Robinson reportedly pulled him over to the roadside for a chat and enquired from him if he had heard from 'the general'.

The court also heard from the witness, who was clad in a bright orange shirt, that he and other members of the gang would often visit People's National Party meetings at different locations and that a woman would always transport weapons to the venues.

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.

The witness will continue his testimony today.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com