Clansman Gang Trial | Witness denies telling police about gang to save himself

The second prosecution witness in the Clansman-One Don Gang trial this morning denied going to the police to save himself, claiming he was confident that the reputed leader of the One Don Gang Andre 'Blackman' Bryan would not surrender to the police.

The witness, who is now being cross-examined by Bryan's lead attorney, Lloyd McFarlane, made the assertion while denying that he had preempted the police so that he would not be arrested.

"My name wasn't going to be called. I am sure 100 per cent no one name would be called," he said.

"So you weren't afraid your name was going to be called," McFarlane asked.

The witness, in reply, explained that when he went to police to give them information about the gang in 2018 while Blackman was in custody,  the reputed leader had assured him that the police had no case against him as the witness could not have identified him.

When pressed why he, being a top-tier member of the gang and being involved in criminal acts, did not result in him being charged, the witness told the lawyer to put that question to the police.

The witness, during further cross-examination by Blackman's lawyer, told the court that he was forced into the gang by the reputed leader.

"I was afraid of him and I am still afraid of him as much as I am testifying here now.

"It wasn't a part of me to be in a gang, I was forced by Blackman. I am not a crime producer," he said.

"So when you were busy programming people like Doolie, you weren't a crime producer?" McFarlane pressed.

The witness had testified that he was the person who had pointed out his friend Doolie to members of the gang when he was killed and that he was the one who went to his workplace to ensure that he was there.

But, the witness, in his defence, said, "I was wrong but I didn't have a choice. Is either I go there and do it or I'll be killed."

Meanwhile, McFarlane, before starting his cross-examination, objected to the unsigned transcripts of the conversations of alleged gang members being entered into evidence.

The witness had testified that after he had secretly recorded conversations he had with Blackman and others on his phone, he had handed over the recordings to the police.

He said he later went to the police and a cop transcribed the audio recordings and he read the document and both he and the cop signed it.

But the court was this morning told that copies of the transcripts that were sent to defence lawyers were not signed.

The prosecution, after sending for the original transcript, told the judge that the witness signature was not in fact on the document and that only one signature was there.

But defence lawyer Kimani Brydson told the court that the cop's signature was also not on the document.

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