Dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel’s appeal verdict is officially one step closer.
According to the three Judges at the trial, the deejay’s appeal of his murder conviction is now at an advanced stage.
The latest development comes after Vybz Kartel’s lead Attorney, Tom Tavares Finson wrote to Court of Appeal President, Justice Dennis Morrison on November 21 requesting an update for the delay in the verdict.
In a letter obtained by Nationwide News dated December 2, the registrar told Tom Tavares Finson that she has been directed to inform him and Attorneys for Kartel’s co-appellants that the finalization of the judgment is at an advanced stage.
The registrar added that as soon as the judgement is ready and a delivery date set, all parties will be advised.
Vybz Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, along with fellow entertainer Shawn Storm, Andre St John, and Kahira Jones were found guilty in 2014 of the 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams after a trial lasted for 65 days.
They were all given mandatory life sentences with the self-proclaimed “Worl’Boss”, ordered to serve 35 years before he is eligible for parole. Campbell, Jones and St John were ordered to each serve 25 years before they become eligible for parole.
Last summer, they made an appeal against their murder convictions in the Supreme Court. In nearly five days of legal submissions, the attorneys for Kartel and his three co-convicts argued that their right to a fair trial was prejudiced by a number of factors.
Among them, the admission of ‘contaminated’ evidence during their 17-week murder trial. Chief among the ‘contaminated’ evidence was a BlackBerry message that was lifted from the deejay’s mobile phone. During the appeal, the Prosecution argued that the integrity of the evidence remains intact and asked the judges to treat the message as an admission to murder.
