DPP, prosecution team get death threats
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ADIDJA ‘VYBZ KARTEL’ PALMER, Shawn 'Shawn Storm' Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John were yesterday afternoon (Apr. 3) given life sentences by Justice Lennox Campbell at the Home Circuit Court in Jamaica.
According to the Jamaican Observer, Kartel and the other three convicted men were slapped with life sentences for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
The Observer also reported that before they are eligible for parole, Kartel has to serve 35 years in prison, Campbell 25, Jones 25 and St. John 30 years.
The sentences were handed down by Justice Campbell after listening to summations from each defence lawyer in the case.
“A guilty verdict was returned for all four on March 13, ending 65 days of trial for the beating death of Williams, which police say occurred on August 16, 2011 at a house owned by Palmer in Havendale, St Andrew.” The media house reported.
Since then, Williams’ body has not been found.
Meanwhile, news reaching this publication states that Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn has confirmed that she and members of her prosecution team had received death threats following the guilty verdict of Kartel and his three accomplices.
The Jamaica Observer stated that the media house was reliably informed that Llewellyn was threatened on the weekend and security around her was beefed up.
“During the course of this trial we have had threats during the course of our jobs; we have to do our jobs, we have to do it without fear or favour. We suffered threats as well but we have had to ignore it. The police, at every turn, responded immediately. We have had to beef up security around the prosecution,” the media house quoted Llewellyn as saying yesterday.
She said despite popular perception, prosecutors are not hell-bent on sending accused people to prison and begged for the public's understanding.
“I would appeal to the public to appreciate that we have a job to do as professionals. We don't take it personally. We have an obligation as ministers of justice to make sure that everything is fair to the defendant. We cannot be intimidated. We are salaried public servants doing a job that we are committed to doing. If we get a conviction or if someone is acquitted we get the same salary,” she said.
The Jamaica Observer also stated that the police issued a release yesterday outlining a number of threats that were levelled against prosecution witnesses during the trial.
The police said the main prosecution witness, Lamar Chow, is still in protective custody due to several threats against his life and promises that he would be rewarded if he refused to co-operate with the prosecution.
Threats have also been issued against the life of the murder victim's sister, who gave evidence during the trial, as well as other relatives.
