How witness became Blackman’s chauffeur
Court told how driver earned gangster’s trust
Published:Thursday | October 28, 2021 | 3:44 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
An ex-member of the One Don Gang testified on Wednesday that when he first went to the police with information about the criminal organisation, law enforcers did not believe him.
The second prosecution witness, who had a full-time job during his time in the gang, disclosed during his evidence on Wednesday in the Home Circuit Court that he met with lawmen on November 24, 2018, after first calling the commissioner of police.
The witness said that a woman referred him to the Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB) headquarters in Kingston, where he had a meeting with officers, including an assistant commissioner of police.
“At first, they were telling me that I was lying. They didn’t believe the information I was telling them,” the witness said.
“I told them that I communicate with Blackman, and they say there is no way I can communicate with him ‘cause he is in a cell where he has no access to a phone, and Blackman called my phone same time,” he shared.
Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan is the reputed leader of the One Don Gang, which is a breakaway faction of the Clansman Gang.
The witness, who appeared very nervous and was seen shaking moments before he started his evidence-in-chief, said he first met Bryan in 2016 after he was released from jail and that defendant Daniel McKenzie, whom he called ‘Biggz’, had introduced him to the reputed leader.
According to the witness, McKenzie was the don for Lauriston in St Catherine at the time.
However, the witness told the court that he did not know that he was going to meet Bryan as Biggs had only asked him to pick up someone at MegaMart supermarket on Waterloo Road in Kingston. He had indicated his willingness once petrol would be provided for his car.
The witness said McKenzie accompanied him and they drove to Spanish Town after they had picked up the reputed leader.
During that journey, he said Biggs turned to him and said, “A di G dis, and mi say, ‘A di G,’ and him say, ‘Yes, Blackman.’”
According to the witness, before they reached their destination, Blackman said he wanted to “freshen up” as he was going to a party on Jones Avenue in Spanish Town. They ended up stopping by the witness’ home after McKenzie said he did not have a bathroom at his home, the court was told.
After Bryan had finished, the witness said the gang leader asked him to pick up two women before heading to the party in Jones Town.
JUST THE BEGINNING
The following day, the witness said Bryan requested that he be transported to Waterloo Road.
According to the witness, “This was just the beginning,” as he started to get regular calls from Bryan requesting transportation between Waterloo Road and Jones Avenue, where Bryan had a house and a studio.
The court heard that the daily calls started after the witness’ second encounter with Bryan, who gave him strict instructions.
“Him say after I leave work, him nuh supposed to call mi. Mi suppose to deh a him foot inna Jones Avenue,” the witness recalled being told.
According to the witness, as Bryan’s trust grew, he was asked to make trips to the gang leader’s Shortwood Road home and to pick up food for him.
Describing Blackman as being “funny”, or particular, the witness said the reputed leader did not allow “any and any body” to deliver his food.
The witness said that his duties expanded to ‘running programme’ for the gang - vernacular for being given descriptions of a target in order to monitor their movement.
The court heard from the previous witness that this was usually done before an alleged hit.
The witness will resume his testimony today.
In the meantime, the first witness is to return to court to complete his testimony on Monday after a mix-up with one of the lawyers for defendant Brian Morris, who, it turned out, had no attorney.
The court had been informed that counsel Venice Brown had been assigned to Morris’ case, but when Brown was summoned after no one had appeared for cross-examination on his behalf on Wednesday, the lawyer explained that she had never been assigned and was surprised to hear her name being called.
The matter was, however, settled after attorney-at-law Denise Hinson accepted a request from the Legal Aid Council to represent Morris.