Prosecution to continue responding to no-case submissions
Published:Thursday | June 2, 2022 | 12:11 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
The prosecution in the Clansman-One Don Gang trial will today continue its bid to convince Chief Justice Bryan Sykes to reject the no-case submissions for 24 of the remaining 28 alleged gangsters, including reputed gang leader Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan, and find that they all have a case to answer.
Yesterday’s session of the trial, which is taking place in the Home Circuit Court, was not held because of the unavailability of the presiding judge, who had an engagement.
Initially, 33 defendants were charged on a 25-count indictment under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organizations) Act and the Firearms Act.
Before the start of the no-case submissions, last Monday, Damaine Elliston, Rushane Williams, Revaldo Hylton, and Owen Ormsby were found not guilty by Chief Justice Bryan Sykes after the Crown indicated that it did not have sufficient evidence to prove its case against the men.
A fifth defendant, Dwayne Salmon, was freed on Tuesday after the judge upheld a no-case submission by his lawyer, Kemar Robinson, while rejecting an application from the prosecution to amend the indictment so that he could be charged with an additional count of knowingly providing a benefit to a criminal organisation.
Sykes, in rejecting the application, said that the amendment would cause severe injustice to Salmon.
The 31-year-old construction worker, who was alleged to be the gang’s gunsmith and supplier, was initially charged with being a member of a criminal organisation and illegal possession of firearm, but the gun charge was conceded by the prosecution.
The other four were also each indicted for being a member of a criminal organisation and for facilitating the commission of murder.