Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, has had his murder conviction overturned by the Privy Council in London. The Jamaican dancehall artist was found guilty in 2014 of killing his associate, Clive “Lizard” Williams, over a missing gun in a high-profile murder trial. He was sentenced to life in prison, but an appeal against his conviction, which argued that a juror accused of bribery should be removed from the trial, has now been successful.
The murder of Williams allegedly took place in August 2011 after he failed to return two unlicensed firearms belonging to Kartel. After he and another man named Lamar Chow were summoned to Kartel’s house in Havendale, Kingston, Clive Williams was never seen alive again. At the trial, Chow testified to seeing Williams lying motionless on the ground, but a body has never been recovered.
Kartel was convicted alongside three other men, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John, who have never admitted guilt for the crime. Lawyers for the four defendants argued that the judge had not properly handled the trial following allegations that a juror had tried to bribe other jurors into making not guilty verdicts. The judge had chosen to carry on with that juror still included in the verdict which was said to be fatal to the safety of the convictions.
Judge Lord Lloyd-Jones stated during the appeal hearing that the Jamaican judge’s directions to the jury on how to navigate the issues were “inadequate to save the situation,” which allowed the conviction to be overturned. Kartel’s official Instagram account celebrated the news by posting a screenshot of the BBC report, writing: “Victorious!!!!” The decision of the Court of Appeal in Jamaica will determine if Vybz Kartel and his three co-defendants will stand trial again
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