Clansman Gang Trial | Witness says community worked alongside gangsters

Tanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter

The second witness in the Clansman-One Don Gang Trial this morning testified that residents in the Jones Avenue community of Spanish Town, St Catherine "worked alongside" the One Don Gang. 

The former top tier member had previously testified that the gang's headquarters was on Jones Avenue and that the reputed leader Andre 'Blackman' Bryan had a house, an unfinished studio and bar in the community. 

He also testified via video link in the Home Circuit Court that there was another house nearby where the gang would meet before going on missions.

The witness further testified that before a double murder-arson in an area called Fisheries in St Catherine, a group of more than 20 gang members had gathered at a church. 

This morning he was cross-examined by attorney-at-law Venice Brown, the lawyer for defendant Dylon McLean.

Brown sought to find out whether the gang members whom the witness claimed would gather behind a church in the community had been hiding.

But the witness said they did not need to hide. 

"People in the community work alongside the gang. They had to," he said. 

The witness also told the court that the gangsters had been in the community from earlier in the day before the double murder and arson. 

During further cross examination, the ex-gangster also disclosed that members of the gang would elude the police by hiding in natural holes that were behind an old house in the community. 

He recalled Blackman twice seeking refuge in one of the holes.

The court also heard that there was a secret escape route from the community that was behind McLean's home.

He said the gang members would use this route to escape the police. 

In the meantime, the witness admitted that in his statement to the police, he did not list McLean among the alleged gang members. 

This morning, the attorney suggested that this was because the witness did not know McLean and because he was never a member of the gang. 

But the witness disagreed, saying he knew McLean personally and was often around him. 

He further told the lawyer that he did not remember McLean while giving his statement. 

The witness also said he did not list all the members of the gang as he could not detail in the statement all he knew about each member. 

The witness was reminded about evidence he gave claiming that McLean was seen removing an Intra-Tech gun from his roof.

Brown asked if the witness did not think it would have been important to share this information in his statement. 

The witness replied: "Isn't what I am saying in court important? As I said, I didn't put nuff tings in my statement but I am telling the truth." 

Bryan and 32 other alleged gang members are being tried on a 25-count indictment under the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) and the Firearms acts. 

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

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