Lawyers say Klansman accused were imprisoned when crimes were committed
STATEMENTS of agreed facts regarding dates on which some of the accused in the Klansman/One Don Gang trial were arrested and placed in custody were put on record in the Supreme Court on Monday.
These facts were agreed on earlier this month by defence attorneys of five of the 28 accused who remain on trial, and prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Thirty-three defendants were initially on trial for charges under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) Act and the Firearms Act. However, five of the accused were set free, leaving alleged leader of the gang, Andre “Blackman” Bryan and 27 others in the hot seat.
The facts that were agreed upon are to be matched against evidence introduced throughout the case in an attempt to prove the defendants were in custody during the times they were accused of committing crimes.
Among the statements of fact read out in court on Monday was that accused gang leader, Andre Bryan was taken into custody at Horizon Adult Remand Centre on Janaury 18, 2012 and remained in custody until September 27, 2016.
The court also learned that defendant Kalifa Williams was taken into custody at the Spanish Town Police Station in St Catherine on January 15, 2017. He remained there until April 19, 2017 when he was transferred to the Horizon, where he has remained to date.
Also put on record was that accused Donovan Richards was taken into custody at the Spanish Town Police Station on September 27, 2017. Richards remained there until May 31, 2018 when he was transferred to the Horizon. He was released from Horizon on June 3, 2019 but was again arrested and taken into custody at the Spanish Town Police Station on June 19, 2019. He was held in lock-up at Spanish Town until November 13, 2019 when he was transferred to Horizon, where he remains to date.
In the case of defendant Tareek James, whose attorneys still have another witness to call, the court learned that he was taken into custody at the Spanish Town Police Station on November 7, 2017 and was kept there until December 26, 2017 when he was transferred to the Horizon Adult Remand Centre. On December 3, 2018 James was released from Horizon back to the Spanish Town lock-up. He was returned to Horizon on December 10, 2019 where authorities have held him to date.
Further, defendant Keith Miller was taken into custody at Horizon on November 20, 2012 where he remained until August 11, 2017 when he was set free. In September 2018 he was again arrested and taken into custody at Spanish Town Police Station where he was held until January 2019, at which time he was transferred to the Horizon where he has since remained.
The trial resumed on Monday, following a two-week stall, after presiding judge, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes contracted COVID-19.
Before the two-week break, Sykes had taken to task both defence and prosecution for not examining the custody log books prior.
In response, the defence told the court they encountered difficulties in obtaining the information.