Skeng’s legal team employs ‘camera footage’ defence
Christopher Townsend, the attorney-at-law representing embattled entertainer Skeng, is employing a ‘camera footage’ defence to prove his client’s innocence.
“We’re relying on the camera footage from the incident for the purpose of having an objective view as to what actually occurred,” Townsend told OBSERVER ONLINE on Wednesday.
The dancehall deejay pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct and resisting arrest when he appeared before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.
“The good thing about it is that it was all captured on camera. It happened in an area that had a lot of security cameras, we want to see that footage,” Townsend said.
The ‘camera footage’ defence worked earlier this year when a two-year-old charge of making a false declaration to Jamaican immigration officers against Elephant Man was dropped when the prosecution realised that there was insufficient evidence to convict the deejay.
Townsend requested video footage of Elephant Man from the Sangster International Airport in St James, but the footage could not be found. The Crown then realised that the evidence to prove its case simply did not exist.
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SKENG
The 21-year-old artiste Skeng, whose real name is Kevaun Douglas, was charged on May 24 for allegedly behaving disorderly during an argument with security personnel at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.
He was attempting to board a flight to Trinidad, to headline the Revival Return Of Dancehall event on May 28, when the argument developed. It is reported that while going through Ports Security Corps, an oversized container of ‘bleaching cream’ was found in his luggage.
Travel-sized liquids, gels, creams and pastes that are approved for travel should be 3.4 ounces or 100 ml or less. The artiste was reportedly told that the cream would either be confiscated or he could try to have it added to a checked bag. The incident triggered an argument.
Skeng is set to return to court on September 8.
The artiste is known for singles such as Protocol with Tommy Lee Sparta, Heaven Passport with Intence, Gvnman Shift and Street Cred. He is one of the most viewed local artistes on streaming platforms like Youtube over the past year.