Clansman Gang Trial | Witness recounts murder of couple, arson attack

An ex-gangster this morning detailed how the reputed leader of the One Don Gang Andre 'Blackman' Bryan and his cronies had reportedly murdered a couple despite cries for mercy from the woman and set their house on fire in Twickenham Park, St Catherine.

The witness said Blackman and his crew, who were in separate groups, carried out the killing when they went in search of a man called 'Bobo Sparks', who was reportedly a top shooter for Tesha Miller, the reputed leader of the Clansman Gang.

The One Don Gang is a breakaway faction of the Clansman Gang.

The top-tier member, in continuing his account in the Clansman-One Don Gang trial in Home Circuit Court this morning, said that when they arrived in the community on the night in question, Blackman's alleged bodyguard CJ [defendant Tareek James] kicked open the door to the couple's house and the woman, who was in bed with the man, started screaming.

Blackman then took CJ's weapon and shot the man after speaking with him, the witness recalled, while indicating that he did not hear what was said.

"Both were in the bed and the girl was screaming. She was begging for them not to kill her.

"I think she was saying she not from there or something but CJ took the gun and shoot her same way," he testified.

Following the shooting, he said two alleged gang members 'Papa' [defendant Joseph McDermott] and 'Shrek' lit bottle bombs and threw them in the board house.

He also told the court that before leaving the community the men kicked in two more doors but no one was harmed as the occupants were elderly and Blackman instructed the men to leave them alone.

According to the witness, his role that day was to carry the bottle bombs.

However, he said he had indicated his wishes not to go but Blackman told him to relax as he was "rolling" with him.

In the meantime, the presiding judge Chief Justice Bryan Sykes this morning told the prosecution to focus on the charges on the indictment and to speed up the process.

"This is not a commission of enquiry, we have to begin to get some shape and focus.

"We have been going on for two weeks now and it's not a commission of enquiry into organised crime in Jamaica, it is a criminal trial," he said.

The chief justice, who was obviously frustrated, made the comments after the prosecutor attempted to question the witness about an incident which he said had happened before he was a member.

Sykes instructed the prosecutor to abandon that line of questioning saying," Time to wrap up this now."

"There seems to be no end in sight and we have to come to an end at some point," he added.

The prosecutor pointed out that the Central Village, St Catherine incident was on the indictment and that the Crown has so far been establishing the identification of the members of the gang and has dealt with three murder incidents on the indictment.

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