Clansman Gang Trial | Lawyer disputes soldier was a member of the gang

The attorney representing the Jamaica Defence Force soldier involved in the Clansman-One Don Gang trial this morning argued that her client was never a member of the gang.

One of the prosecution's main witnesses, who is a former member of the gang, had testified in the Home Circuit Court that the defendant, Jermaine Robinson, had disclosed to him that he is a soldier.

The witness had testified that Robinson was one of reputed leader Andre 'Blackman' Bryan's bodyguards and that he had seen him on two occasions.

He said he saw him on Jones Avenue in Spanish Town, St Catherine and at his [the witness] home where he was guarding Bryan with a gun.

But attorney-at-law, Roxaine Smith, during her cross-examination of the witness, suggested that he had fabricated the accounts in relation to her client.

"I am putting it to you that Robinson was born in Jones Town and would be between there and White Water Meadows.

"Any interaction you would have seen between him anybody else from the community would be in this context," she probed.

"But not at my yard," the witness replied, after admitting that he didn't know where the defendant was born.

The lawyer also suggested to the witness that her client had graduated from the military in 2016 and was posted in St James but he said he was not aware.

"During that time he would hardly have any free time having just graduated," Smith said.

But the witness disagreed saying, "He was at my yard so that 'hardly time' may be is that time."

Smith further suggested that Robinson was transferred to Up Park Camp in 2017 and for some time in that year was enrolled in a combat engineering programme and could not leave the venue.

But, the witness said he was not aware of that as well.

The witness rejected further suggestions that Robinson was not a member of the gang and was never involved in any criminal activities.

He also maintained that Robinson had visited his home and was there guarding the gang's reputed leader with a gun all night.

Earlier during the cross-examination, the witness admitted that he had not mentioned Robinson in his statement to the police claiming he had forgotten about him.

Bryan and 32 other alleged gang members are being tried on an indictment with 25 counts under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organizations) Act and the Firearms Act.

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